Rui Barbosa: mito, memória e esquecimento

The remembrance of Rui Barbosa has always involved the maintenance of myths fabricated during his lifetime while a reappraisal of his intellectual, literary and political dimensions has been forwarded. Current essay discusses from several bibliographical samples on Brazilian social thought the manner the memory of the lawgiver from Bahia has been appropriated civically and intellectually. A qualitative and quantitative contrast was established between Barbosa’s works published and referred to and those by Joaquim Nabuco, Sílvio Romero and Gilberto Freyre. Oscillations in the evaluation of Barbosa’s works occurred during the 20th century that brought about a decrease in their value and about the memory on the historical subject.