Marxism and other influences on Ignacio Rangel’s line of thought

Abstract

In view of the discussions started regarding the work of Ignacio de Mourão Rangel, in the midst of his birth centenary (2014), this article aims to discuss Rangel´s influences throughout his extensive work. We argue that Rangel Marxist thought - the cause and consequence of his broad view of science and the evolutionary nature of the economy - was the result of several influences: from philosophers such as Hegel and Kant to Adam Smith and, mainly, Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. He absorbed, through the work of Schumpeter, the concept of Kondratiev long-term cycles. Rangel also used Keynesian postulates. These influences largely explain Rangel´s success in turning historical materialism into something deeply Brazilian and in developing a Brazilian Political Economy.

Keywords: Ignacio Rangel´s thought; Intellectual influences; Historical materialism; Development; Brazil