CLASSE · Estado, Partido e a Questão do Poder Político | Maria da Conceição Tavares

The relationship between the State and Class Struggle is the explosive theme of this eighth lesson, where Professor Maria da Conceição Tavares conducts a true "reckoning" with political theory. In a frank and passionate debate with the students, Tavares argues that the classic Marxist view—which sees the State only as an apparatus of domination to be destroyed—prevented the left from governing democratically and from understanding the complexity of modern societies. Using Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal as examples, the economist demonstrates how democratic leadership, coupled with an efficient bureaucracy, could reform capitalism "from the top down" without falling into fascism. The lecture then moves on to a deep sociological analysis of Brazil, diagnosing the transition from a "class society" to a de-structured "mass society," where traditional political struggle loses its effectiveness. Key Points of the Lesson: The Example of Roosevelt: How a wheelchair-bound, aristocratic leader used the State to save capitalism and the people, bending Wall Street to his will and creating the Welfare State. The Failure of the Left: A harsh critique of the inability of socialist parties to conceive of the State as a space for democratic contestation, constantly oscillating between weak reformism and ineffective revolutionism. Mass Society: The thesis that, in large peripheral metropolises (such as in Brazil), the "class" has dissolved into a dispossessed "mass," making traditional political organization much more difficult. The Role of the Intellectual: A moving conclusion on the duty of the university: not to provide magical solutions, but to offer analytical tools so that society understands its own misery and complexity. Contemporary Brazil: Reflections on violence, inequality, and the need to overcome the "pretend" democracy. A historical record of one of the country's greatest intellectuals challenging her students to think beyond the textbooks. 00:00 Delay and Democratic Leadership (Introduction) 02:26 The Roosevelt Case: The New Deal as a Democratic Reform of the State 13:57 Mass Democracy vs. Fascism in the Crisis of 1930 22:00 A Critique of Marxism: Destroy the State or Reform It? 30:57 Max Weber, Social Classes and the Struggle for Power 39:30 The Dilemma of Social Democracy in Power (Spain, France, Italy) 51:40 The Brazilian Left: Between Populism and a Lack of Strategy 59:00 Mass Society: The End of Traditional Classes? 01:06:00 The Crisis of Critical Consciousness and the Role of Intellectuals 01:17:30 Violence and Order: The Brazilian Social Abyss 01:28:00 Conclusion: What is the purpose of the University? #stateandclassstruggle #mariadaconceicaotavares #economichistory #geopolitics #financialcrisis Date: August 7, 1992 - Part 2