National development, structure and superstructure in the work of Caio Prado Junior

Abstract

The present work aims to re-construct the main argument of Caio Prado Jr. about the development of the material basis of Brazilian society. Through his works, Caio Prado explains the logical of evolution of the economic basis of Brazil, and tries to point the possible ways for its overcoming. In the fi rst section we introduce the Caio Prado Jr. arguments, in the second section some controversial issues about his interpretation are presented, in the concluding remarks we explorer some possibilities about a real development politics in the sense that Prado Junior presents.