José da Silva Lisboa, José Bonifácio and Martim Francisco: Discussions about education in the Empire of Brazil

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to accentuate some of the main elements of the debate about Brazilian education at the beginning of the Brazil Empire (1822-1827), identifying the principles and values of Liberalism applied to public education. For this, we analyzed the thought of Silva Lisboa and of the brothers Martim Francisco and José Bonifácio. We use newspapers, pamphlets and Constitutional Proceedings 1823, as well as A Memória de Martim Francisco, permeating the works Constituição Moral e Deveres do Cidadão, by José da Silva Lisboa, and Projetos para o Brasil, by José Bonifácio. For data interpretation, we inspired in the Cultural History, as suggested by Roger Chartier. Thus, we noticed the fundamental concepts to Liberalism, liberty and happiness, as well as the need for an educational system that mobilized the state and nation building in education. So, despite of different views, both ended up seeing the need of education for the new nation.