Kant, Bakhtin, Câmara Jr.: problemas epistêmicos na linguística brasileira

Abstract

This Final Coursework explores the relationship between linguistics and philosophy, focusing on the works of Immanuel Kant, Mikhail Bakhtin, and Mattoso Câmara Jr., through a comparative study centered on the philosophy of language. The core issue under debate is the persistence of historiographical stereotypes in Brazilian academia (such as viewing Bakhtin as a “historical materialist,” Kant as an “idealist,” and Câmara Jr. as a “structuralist”), which limit a factual understanding of their contributions, as noted in prior studies. The general objective is to demonstrate whether a comparative approach to the works Critique of Practical Reason (Kant, 2016[1788]), Principles of General Linguistics (Câmara Jr.), and Toward a Philosophy of the Act (Bakhtin, 2010[1984]) fosters a more precise understanding of their ideas. As specific objectives, it proposes: a) to investigate interpretations that lead to misunderstandings of their works; b) to identify concepts that facilitate approximation between the authors; c) to compare the role of theoretical presuppositions in this connection; d) to assess whether this effort results in a more faithful interpretation. The research is classified as comparative, confronting the selected works to challenge current ways of understanding them; it is also historical, documentary, and bibliographic, reconstructing their intersections and reviewing prior studies. Theoretically, it draws on Fricker (2023) regarding epistemic injustice applied to Brazilian linguistics. The analyses reveal deep connections between the works, questioning stereotypes and identifying concepts such as subject, act, and event that enable a more faithful reinterpretation, especially of Bakhtin’s profile, distinct from the predominant view.