O Novo na sua Face Sombria: Um balanço das análises sobre a ascensão da extrema direita no Brasil atual

Abstract

The article undertakes a partial yet critical review of recent analyses regarding the government of Jair Bolsonaro and the so-called ‘bolsonarismo’ within the Brazilian social sciences. With this purpose, it places into dialogue analyses of the current Brazilian political situation that make use of the ideas of (neo)fascism, totalitarian neoliberalism, neo-backwardness and strategies of war, occupation and utilization of chaos as method of ruling. By means of the critical review of the literature, the article also aims at discussing a number of social tendencies in the Brazilian socio-political scenario and their connections to the global context. In its conclusion, the article points out advantages and limits of the approaches discussed, arguing that, the more the debate on ‘bolsonarismo’ in the Brazilian social sciences succeeds in comprehending the specificities of the Brazilian situation while also taking into account its connections with the course of contemporary world, the more consistent their account of the historical present becomes.