Na década de 1870, em Portugal, um grupo de jovens intelectuais passou a refletir sobre sua nação frente à nova conjuntura política, social e econômica europeia. As revoluções liberais com espírito republicano, o desenvolvimento de teorias sociais e as tentativas revolucionárias baseadas nessas teorias, como a Comuna de Paris em 1871, serviram como bases argumentativas da Geração de 70, que protagonizou um movimento interveniente, contrapondo-se à lógica do sistema monárquico. Antero Tarquínio de Quental (1842-1891) e Joaquim Teófilo Fernandes Braga (1843-1924) foram dois dos principais mentores na busca pela modernização portuguesa ao discutirem o processo de marginalização da nação, suas causas e possíveis soluções para a superação do atraso. Antero simpatizou com o ideal Socialista e o colocou como proposição política no debate público. Teófilo aderiu à Filosofia Positivista como o principal método para a constituição de uma nova sociedade. Os princípios refletidos e defendidos pelos autores foram substanciados pelos fenômenos políticos e sociais da Europa oitocentista, atribuindo às respectivas conclusões filosóficas a pretensão de romper com sistemas tradicionais de governo. Legitimava-se, assim, a República Socialista ou a República Positivista como duas frentes possíveis para superar as controvérsias do regime monárquico. Objetivou-se nesta pesquisa o estudo do pensamento político de Antero de Quental e de Teófilo Braga, compreender como os autores estruturaram seus respectivos projetos republicanos a partir da análise de textos publicados. O período de avaliação se concentrou entre os anos de 1865 e 1881, momento de acentuada mobilização política e intelectual dos letrados. / In the 1870s in Portugal, a group of young intellectuals began to reflect on their nation considering the new political, social and economic context in Europe. The liberal revolutions with a republican spirit, the development of social theories and revolutionary attempts based on these theories, such as the Paris Commune in 1871, served as argumentative basis for 70\'s Generation, who were the leaders of the movement that opposed the monarchy system. Antero Tarquinio de Quental (1842-1891) and Joaquim Teófilo Fernandes Braga (1843-1924) were among the main the mentors of the Portuguese modernization, debating the process of marginalization of the nation, its causes and as well as possible solutions to overcome its setbacks. Antero sympathized with the socialist ideal and made it a political proposal in the public debate. Teófilo accepted the Positivist Philosophy as a method to build a new society. The principles reflected and defended by the authors were articulated with the political and social phenomena of nineteenth-century Europe, attributing them the power to overcome traditional governments and justifying the Socialist Republic or the Positivist Republic as two possibilities against the monarchy regime. This research aims to analyse Antero and Teófilo\'s political perspectives, fowsing on how they structured their respective republican projects through the study of their published essays. The analysis will focus on the years 1865-1881, a period of strong political and intellectual activity of authors.

Trata-se de um estudo a respeito de uma das obras referenciais da historiografia maranhense no século XX - a História do Maranhão de Mário Martins Meireles, - publicada pelo DASP em 1960. Empreende-se um esforço interpretativo voltado para o conhecimento da obra em seus múltiplos aspectos, privilegiando-se, desse modo, os sentidos de sua produção e suas implicações com a realidade da época, o perfil intelectual do autor que a tornou possível, bem como os conceitos e as noções temporais inscritas na narrativa. Analisam-se as possibilidades discursivas subjacentes a essa produção intelectual que reforçaram construtos míticos, utilizados como instrumentos de reafirmação elitista em meio à ameaça de desintegração identitária. Entende-se os conceitos de decadência, moralidade e ordem, cujos critérios de validade estavam voltados para a tentativa de retorno a uma passadidade arcaica, como elementos centrais da obra, desenvolvidos com a finalidade de fixar um ponto de vista tradicional e regionalista da história, tendo em vista a invenção de um espaço de excelência intelectual e material num contexto histórico vivenciado sob os signos da escassez e das carências. / This study deals with one of the key reference works in the historiography of Maranhão in the twentieth century the História do Maranhão by Mário Martins Meireles published by DASP in 1960. It utilizes an interpretive approach centered on knowing the work in its multiple aspects, privileging, in this way, the meanings of its production and its implications in the reality of the epoch, the intellectual profile of the author which made it possible, as well as the concepts and temporal notions inscribed in the narrative. The study analyzes the discursive possibilities underlying this intellectual production which reinforce mythic constructions, used as instruments of an elite reaffirmation in the midst of the threat of the disintegration of identity. Central elements in the work of Meireles include the concepts of decadence, morality and order, whose criteria of validity are based on the attempt to return to an archaic past. These are developed with the intention to establish a traditional and regionalist interpretation of history with a view to invent a space of intellectual and material excellence in a historical context characterized by scarcity and need.

Por muitos anos, a história que foi contada da Capitania de Goiás se resumia aos feitos heroicos dos bandeirantes, à riqueza do ouro e à decadência que arrasou toda aquela região com o fim do ciclo minerador. Nesta tese, ao abordarmos o processo de urbanização das Minas de Goyaz e das Minas do Tocantins na passagem do século XVIII para o XIX, detectamos que há muito a ser revelado a respeito do discurso da decadência. A diversidade era a tônica da Capitania de Goiás, expressa em sua paisagem, no seu povo e na forma como esses vastos sertões foram sendo apropriados. Sertões de mar a mar, que recebiam gente de todas as partes, atravessando o coração da colônia ou fincando novas raízes. A trama da filigrana, ao mesmo tempo fina, forte, delicada e rebuscada, é uma imagem possível desse emaranhado de vida que animava a capitania e sugere que nem tudo é o que parece ser. O gado coexistindo com as atividades mineradoras e comerciais, a mulher tomando frente pelas estradas dos ermos gerais e uma rede de julgados ditando o tom da urbanidade dos arraiais - essa é a Capitania de Goiás que se revelou para além da decadência. / For many years the official history of the Captaincy of Goiás was summed up by the heroic deeds of the bandeirantes, the gold wealth and the long process of decay that devastated the whole region after the mining cycle. In this thesis, as the process of urbanization of Goyaz and Tocantins mines in the 18th and 19th centuries is examined in detail, it becomes clear that there is more to be said about the discourse of decay. It seems that Captaincy of Goias was then much more diversified in its landscape, its people and in the way these vast backlands were appropriated. Sea-to-sea backlands, receiving people from all sides, who were just crossing the heart of the colony or in search of the golden dream of mining. The filigree technique, at the same time fine, strong, delicate and elaborate, could be a possible image for the lifestyle that animated the Captaincy and suggests that not everything is what it seems to be. Livestock, mining, commerce, the strong presence of women leading various activities and a network of judicial districts set the tone for growing urbanity in the hinterland - the Captaincy of Goias revealing itself beyond decadence.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T17:27:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gilmar Dias da Conceicao.pdf: 521227 bytes, checksum: d5b9fc242a55387bcbf636d0d4befb59 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-11 / The objective of this dissertation paper in Masters is the study of the itinerary followed by Nietzsche in elaborating his perspective on the body, starting from the antecedents that determined its devaluation. In this journey, we shall be examining, among other points, the Nietzsche perspective on the human decadency process, with emphasis on what the above mentioned thinker understands by Physiology and the art of convalescence, and showing how it configures the process of human sickness both individually and collectively / O intuito desta dissertação de mestrado é o de estudar o itinerário seguido por Nietzsche na elaboração da sua perspectiva sobre o corpo, a partir dos antecedentes que determinaram sua desvalorização. Nesta trajetória examinaremos, entre outros pontos, a perspectiva de Nietzsche sobre o processo da decadência do homem, salientando o que o referido pensador entende por fisiologia e arte da convalescença, mostrando como se configura o processo da doença no homem individual e no coletivo

In nineteenth-century literary studies and histories, Théophile Gautier (1811-1872) is still largely remembered as the instigator of the doctrine of Art for Art's Sake, mostly because of his novel Mademoiselle de Maupin (1835) and its controversial preface. This recognition is usually accompanied by a retrospective appreciation of Gautier's work in light of the more famous authors who succeeded him and developed some of the precepts of the doctrine, such as Baudelaire. This thesis is a comparative study of Gautier and Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) as the two main exponents of the doctrine of Art for Art's Sake respectively in France and Britain. While comparisons between Gautier and Baudelaire have tended to highlight the superiority of the latter, a comparison with Wilde allows Gautier to be seen and understood in his own terms, and simultaneously casts a new light on Wilde's contribution to the development of the doctrine. My study is the first to examine the works of the two authors comparatively from the vantage point of their aesthetic theories. I argue that in order better to assess their contribution, it is necessary to start with an analysis of their experimentations with literary form. The overall aim of the thesis is to re-evaluate their fictional works which, as a result of their commitment to the doctrine, are often seen as lacking in depth and content, and as being too descriptive and decorative. The central argument is that the very decorative form of their works should be seen as the starting point of an ambitious reflection on literature, its aims and its relation to other artistic media, the visual arts in particular.

This thesis addresses two interpretative questions concerning the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. The first is to ascertain the primary objection that Nietzsche has to a morality that he describes as decadent. The conclusion reached is that Nietzsche’s objection to decadent morality is based on the harm it does to a class of “higher” individuals who have valuable work to perform in achieving a desirable future for humanity. The second question is to determine the manner in which Nietzsche’s own values are to be understood based on the skepticism he expresses concerning the objectivity of value. The conclusion reached is that Nietzsche’s values are objects of the same analysis he applies to human values generally. The values Nietzsche endorses, including the valuing of “higher” individuals, are to be understood as symptoms of a particular physiology and its relationship to living.

This study compares the relation between beauty, objectification, and transcendence in two novels: Oscar Wilde's early-modernist The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891) and Vladimir Nabokov's late-modernist Pale Fire (1962). Though written over half a century apart, the works feature similar critiques of the aesthete's devotion to beauty. While Wilde's novel offers an insider's view of aristocratic Decadence in late-nineteenth-century London, Nabokov's reflects his early influence from the Russian Symbolists and recalls that tradition in the American suburbs of the mid-twentieth-century. Both novels demonstrate the trust that many modernists held in the ability of beauty to offer transcendence over the limits and suffering of mortal life. Yet they also call attention to the dangers of aesthetic obsession. My study applies the theories of Plato, Emanuel Swedenborg, Immanuel Kant, Arthur Schopenhauer, Vladimir Solovyov, Laura Mulvey, and Steven Drukman to the aesthetic sensibilities presented in the novels. To understand how these ideologies inform the works, I have divided the main characters into three categories---artist, spectator, and aesthetic object. Both Wilde and Nabokov present beauty as a positive force for its ability to provide at least temporary transcendence. The authors also, however, portray the tragic consequences of aesthetic objectification. By comparing the two works, I conclude that both highlight the dangers of the aesthete's obsession with beauty, but only Nabokov's Pale Fire offers a solution: the need for pity toward those who become the objects of the aesthetic gaze.

The thesis sets out to do two things. It seeks first of all to describe the revival of interest in the Caroline era which defines the nature of an "English Tradition" in the Eighteen Nineties. Secondly, in doing so it seeks to reappraise three significant poets of that era, Ernest Dowson, Lionel Johnson, and Francis Thompson, in terms of their participation in this revival. The first chapter, "Craving Viaticum", deals with the general background of the Eighteen Nineties period. It suggests that the Symbolist movement equates with the Decadent one in a more direct way than has often been allowed, and deals with the era's enthusiasm for nostalgia and past ages as part of its reaction against current society. It also explores the period's allegiance to hero-figures. The second chapter, "The French Connection: Pater's Part", deals with Walter Pater, and evaluates him in terms of his art and criticism, suggesting how these develop from a nostalgic desire to re-create past ages in the image of his present ideals. The more exaggerated claims made by critics of his work for the influence of French writers on him are questioned, and Pater's relation to the "English Tradition" is discussed. In the third chapter, "The French Connection: Other Approaches", the tendentiousness of those critics who attempt to define the entire Decadent era in Britain in terms of French influences is discussed and exposed. The fourth chapter, "New Births of Decadence: The English Tradition and the Seventeenth Century", deals with the relation of the literature of the period to the Caroline era in detail, and the fifth chapter, "Of Academic Interest", is concerned with analysing this relationship through discussion of both contemporary and present-day critics, adducing statistical evidence to prove a resurgence of interest in the writers of the Caroline era in the period 1880-1910. The sixth chapter, "By the Statue of King Charles: The Jacobite Revival" deals with the political and religious aspects of the Caroline revival, and charts the growth of neo-Jacobitism in the Eighteen Nineties and its relation to literary history. The seventh chapter, "Against Nature: Defining Decadence", suggests that the root of Decadent thinking is myth, and that the counterpart of Symbolism in the world of decadent nostalgia was the iconic religious and political culture of the court of King Charles I, a convenient archetype for Decadent myths of ritual, aristocracy, and martyrdom. This discussion closes the first part of the thesis. "Francis Thompson, Faithful Decadent: Catholics and Criticism" is Chapter Eight. It discusses Francis Thompson in relation to his critics, and the manner in which views of his work have been polarised between two main schools of criticism. Chapter Nine, "Faithful in my Fashion", suggests a resolution of this historically polarised critical discussion by assessing Thompson's poetry in close relationship with the work of the seventeenth-century sacred poets. The tenth chapter, "Waif of Romance: The Poetry of Ernest Christopher Dowson", assesses Dowson in relation to Herrick and the Cavalier lyrists, discussing also how he stands as a type in relation to his age. The eleventh chapter, "Lionel Johnson: One of Those Who Fall: His Life and Ideas", is concerned with the crisis in Johnson's thought over the natures of guilt and beauty, and how this is illustrated in his poetry. The twelfth and final chapter, "The Life and Work of Lionel Johnson: A Long Blast Upon the Horn: His Work and Themes", assesses Johnson's nostalgia for the Stuart era in terms of a resolution of his present poetic crisis through past values. His intellectual and intertextual relationships with Ben Jonson and Marvell are also discussed. The thesis closes with an assessment of Johnson's achievement based on his allegiance to the Caroline revival with which the argument throughout has been concerned.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis examines the representation of glass in French and Belgian poetry associated with the Symbolist and Decadent movements. It incorporates a number of authors, particularly focussing on Baudelaire, Mallarmé, Laforgue, Rodenbach, and Maeterlinck, but also encompassing more minor writers where appropriate, as well as some writers on the periphery of Symbolism and Decadence. The thesis investigates how the growing use of glass in architecture, technology, and visual art influenced late-nineteenth-century poets, providing these writers with a means by which to understand their social context as well as a multi-faceted metaphor through which to interrogate their own poetic mechanisms. Glass, in its various manifestations - windows, lenses, hothouses, aquariums, Exhibition halls, Art Nouveau glasswork, and stained glass - prompts meditation on such questions as: the interaction between subject and object; the relationship between fiction and reality; the infinite; poetic form; nature and artifice; and aesthetic identity. Ultimately, I combat the traditional understanding of this poetry as being solely concerned with the pure realm of dreams, the soul, and the 'Idée'. Instead, I insist on the material world as a starting point for this poetry, demonstrating that it is not immune to environmental factors, but rather that it uses its environment as a route towards the elusive 'Idée'. Glass is key to this process because its very ambiguity makes it a suitable embodiment of the tension between the material and the unknown, invisible, or ideal.