Abstract:
This article aims to discuss the issue of intellectuals in the Third World through a case study focused on the sociologist Alberto Guerreiro Ramos. It starts from the assumption that the literature on intellectuals is excessively Eurocentric and that it is possible to overcome such a problem by means of an empirical analysis of peripheral intellectuals. The article uses data from a research conducted over 3 years and it focuses on 3 aspects of Ramos' sociological practice: a) the critical dialogue with theories produced in the Northern Hemisphere; b) his writing style; c) his search for intellectual autonomy. Data are analyzed in the light of the literature produced by historians and sociologists about intellectuals. It is concluded that studies on peripheral intellectuals demonstrate a relation between ideas and public life different from that found in the core countries.
Keywords:
Guerreiro Ramos; Intellectuals; Third World;