The article examines the connections linking some classical studies belonging to the cultural tradition of Brazilian thought and a more recent cluster of works in the field of the sociology of intellectual life, written by contemporary social scientists. Start-ing from the discussion around the historical genesis through the concept of "for-mation", the text argues that the continuous scrutiny of intellectuals group was nurtured by the former tradition and led to handle similar problems and challenges, both trends converging towards an appraisal of the limits of our modernity, express-ing the intellectuals' current discomfort.
Brazilian though; Intellectual history; Modernism; Sociology of intellectuals