Abstract
This article examines Rui Barbosa's late work and seeks to understand the meaning of his criticism about the Brazilian republican experience. The research is mainly based on Rui's texts, published and/or spoken speeches and conferences between 1910 and 1921, and it argues that the author has mobilized a normative concept of democracy as the foundation of his criticism about the Republican status quo. This concept was based on two pillars: (1) autonomy of the civil society, which was understood as the organization of independent civil associations and the establishment of a public sphere free of government interference; and (2) the primacy of the Judiciary Power, which would be the summa potestas of the Republican regime and would have the task of repressing abuses from the Executive and parliamentary majorities.
Keywords:
Rui Barbosa; Brazilian First Republic; Democracy; Brazilian Political Theory