Speak Out against Defunding Philosophy and Sociology in Brazil

Jair Bolsonaro, the president of Brazil, has announced a plan to withdraw funding for the teaching and study of philosophy and sociology in his country’s institutions of higher education.

A recent open letter, signed by over three thousand academics, calls on the Bolsonaro administration to reconsider these cuts. Defunding programs and research in these fields will prevent the public from benefiting from the advances made by Brazilian philosophers and sociologists and, given the interdisciplinary nature of university-level social sciences and the humanities, will undoubtedly affect research and teaching across all areas of study.

Because a democratic society depends on “its social institutions, its understanding of their foundations and governing principles, as well as its understanding of how these policies and institutions affect its population,” defunding these fields threatens the foundation of democratic society in Brazil.

To speak up for these vital programs and for democratic principles in Brazil and around the world, sign the open letter online.

Photo by Isac Nóbrega via Flickr