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1INTRODUO
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Bolsista do CNPq, mestrando no curso de Filosofia, Teoria e Histria do Direito da UFSC.
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Bolsista da FAPESC, graduando no curso de Direito da UFSC.
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O esforo acadmico para a compreenso da literariedade intrnseca das obras
sobre pensamento poltico clssico e da incapacidade de uma plena diferenciao entre
textos poltico e literrios discutida contemporaneamente (HABERMAS, 2004) possibilita a
evidenciao dos recursos estilsticos e performativos dos discursos, caracterizando-o
centralmente como um ato de fala (AUSTIN, 1965). O auxlio das teorias literrias e
lingsticas servir, deste modo, como chave importante de interpretao de textos histricos.
2 A ESCOLA DE CAMBRIDGE
A Escola de Cambridge, que tem como seu maior expoente Quentin Skinner,
baseia sua metodologia de pesquisa na interpretao de textos histricos pelo contextualismo
lingstico. A preocupao metodolgica de Skinner nasce de uma insatisfao com as
dominantes formas de anlise histrica, tais quais o textualismo tradicional e o
contextualismo sociolgico (dentre estes, o de corrente marxista). Em poucas palavras, pode-
se resumir as crticas primeira corrente na crena sobre a autonomia dos textos estudados
(sua coerncia lgica e seu carter exemplar), enquanto a segunda se basearia
demasiadamente na total dependncia dos textos em relao s estruturas sociais e
econmicas determinantes.
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(TULLY, 2001, p.8). Em outras palavras, o autor est sempre realizando algo ao exercer sua
fala, algo que pode ser analisado do ponto de vista contextual.
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significa modificar a maneira como a prpria ao poltica representada. As convenes
manipuladas redescrevem e recaracterizam a ao poltica.
3REVOLUO CIENTFICA
Quanto ao meu mtodo [...] escolhi meu ponto de partida da prpria substncia do
governo civil e, da, procedi para sua gerao e forma, e gnese da justia. Pois
tudo melhor compreendido por suas causas constitutivas. Como em um relgio, ou
qualquer outro mecanismo, a substncia, o diagrama e o movimento de suas
engrenagens no pode ser completamente entendido sem desmontarmos e o
analisarmos em partes.1
Parece ter sido durante a dcada de 1830 que Hobbes recebeu diretamente o
impacto da revoluo cientfica e passou a rejeitar o studia humanitatis em favor de um tipo
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Traduo prpria. (Concerning my method [...] i took my begining from the very matter of civill government,
and thence proceeded to its generation, and form, and the first beginning of justice; for every thing is best
understood by its constitutive causes; for as in a watch, or some such small engine, the matter, figure, and
motion of the wheeles, cannot well be known, except it be taken in sunder, and viewed in parts).
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diferente de scientia. Como relata seu bigrafo, John Aubrey, o livro Os elementos da
geometria de Euclides parece ter causado em Hobbes um encantamento tremendo pelo
mtodo das cincias naturais (SKINNER, p.250). O humanista cede lugar ao cientista.
(RIBEIRO, p.260).
neste perodo tambm que Hobbes entra em contato com Marin Messene, que,
por sua vez, era discpulo de Descartes e mantinha contato com vrios filsofos e fsicos do
continente europeu. Hobbes entra em uma teia de contatos e de influncias filosficas,
inserindo-se paulatinamente em um contexto intelectual europeu mais amplo, e atravs de
Merssene, inicia um dilogo com o pensamento cientfico europeu nascente do sculo XVII
(SKINNER, p.252).
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intelectual de Hobbes est enormemente endividada com a cultura literria humanista corrente
do sc.XVI na Inglaterra.(SKINNER, p.217)
4O HUMANISTA
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eloqncia e a cincia civil. Hobbes aproxima as cincias naturais das cincias morais com o
intuito de tornar a cincia civil uma cincia genuna.
5REPDIO ELOQNCIA
From the two principal parts of our nature, Reason and Passion, have proceeded two
kinds of learning, mathematical and dogmatical. The former is free from
controversies and dispute, because it consisteth in comparing figures and motion
only; in which things truth and the interest of men, oppose not each other. But in the
later there is nothing not disputable, because it compareth men, and meddleth with
their right and profit; in which as oft as reason is against a man, so oft will a man be
against reason
For were the nature of humane Actions as distinctly knowne, as the nature of
Quantity in Geometricall Figures, the strength of Avarice and Ambition, which is
sustained by the erroneous opinions of the Vulgar, as touching the nature of Right
and Wrong, would presently faint and languish; And Mankinde should enjoy such an
Immortall peace, that (unlesse it were for habitation, on supposition that the Earth
should grow too narrow for her Inhabitants) there would hardly be left any pretence
for war (De Cive, letter for devonshire)
After him comes Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and other philosophers, as well Greeke,
as Latine. And now at length all men of all Nations, not only philosophers, but even the
vulgar, have, and doe still deale with this as a matter of ease, exposed and prostitute to every
Mother-wit, and to be attained without any great care or study. (De Cive)
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Elementos, ceticismo
1) That the subject wherein colour and image are inherent, is not the object or
thing seen.
(2) That that is nothing without us really which we call an image or colour.
(3) That the said image or colour is but an apparition unto us of that motion,
agitation, or alteration, which the object worketh in the brain or spirits, or some internal
substance of the head.
(4) That as in conception by vision, so also in the conceptions that arise from
other senses, the subject of their inherence is not the object, but the sentient
6O ATAQUE INVENTIO
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[...] we may understand, there be two sorts of knowledge, whereof the one is
nothing else but sense, or knowledge original (as I have said at the beginning of the second
chapter), and remembrance of the same; the other is called science or knowledge of the truth
of propositions, and how things are called, and is derived from understanding. Both of these
sorts are but experience; the former being the experience of the effects of things that work
upon us from without; and the latter the experience men have of the proper use of names in
language. And all experience being (as I have said) but remembrance, all knowledge is
remembrance: and of the former, the register we keep in books, is called history. but the
registers of the latter are called the sciences. (Elementos, p.9)
This universality of one name to many things, hath been the cause that men think
that the things themselves are universal. (Elementos, p.8)
[...] in their writings and discourses they take for principles those opinions which
are already vulgarly received, whether true or false; being for the most part false. There is
therefore a great deal of difference between teaching and persuading; the signs of this being
controversy; the sign of the former, no controversy (Elementos, p.23)
7O ATAQUE ELOCUTIO
Hobbes define a linguagem como ponto crucial de uma cincia civil. Hobbes
elenca trs problemas que ocasionam em ambigidade de termos: a) o carter polissmico
inerente a alguns termos; b) o uso de metforas e figuras de linguagem, e outras formas de
elocuto; c) as redescries paradiastlicas,que possibilitam ao autor
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Ao encarar as opinies dos homens como contingenciais, derivadas muito mais de
suas paixes e emoes do que da racionalidade, Hobbes encara esses artifcios de
ornamentao textual e, conseqentemente, de distoro da verdade - como irrelevantes e,
de fato, contrrias construo de uma genuna cincia da vida civil.
Entretanto, vale ressaltar que uma das poucas metforas do livro Elements of law
aplicada exatamente na crtica ao mau uso da eloqncia
Seeing then eloquence and want of discretion concur to the stirring of rebellion, it
may be demanded, what part each of these acteth therein? The daughters of Pelias,
king of Thessaly, desiring to restore their old decrepit father to the vigour of his
youth, by the counsel of Medea chopped him in pieces, and set him a boiling with I
know not what herbs in a cauldron, but could not make him revive again. So when
eloquence and want of judgment go together, want of judgment, Like the daughters
of Pelias, consenteth, through eloquence, which is as the witchcraft of Medea, to cut
the commonwealth in pieces, upon pretence or hope of reformation, which when
things are in combustion, they are not able to effect.
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condies de adequao cientfica. Ou seja, ele precisa demonstrar uma definio desprovida
de equvocos e ambigidades, a qual permita a qualificao de justo e injusto por critrios
puramente empricos (SKINNER, p.309).
And upon this it was, that when I applyed my Thoughts to the Investigation of
Naturall Justice, I was presently advertised from the very word Justice, (wich
signifies a steady Will of giving every one his Owne) that my first enquiry was to
be, from whence it proceeded, that any man should call any thing rather his Owne,
than another man's. And when I found that this proceeded not from Nature, but
Consent
9RETORNA RETRICA
10CONSIDERAES FINAIS
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REFERNCIAS