Socialism and History in Political Thought of Antero de Quental

Abstract

In the 1870s, Antero de Quental, one of the main portuguese writers, believed that the society he lived in was unfair and unable to promote social equality. While he was seeking answers to solve the problems arising from the social, economical and political contradictions, the literate identified the socialism as a means to achieve the social equality. In order to prove and legitimate his values and concepts, Antero was based on revolutionary theories from the First International and in history, so it could also serve as a basis for his arguments. The objectives of this article are to understand the meaning of the Socialism from Antero’s point of view and the importance of History creating Antero’s political concepts and theories.