The idea of communism in bolsonarism and the anti-communist magnetism.
anti-communism; Bolsonarism; communism; far-right
Using the methodology of associative sociology, this dissertation delves into the complexities of its research object: the idea of communism as perceived by Bolsonarism. Through the concept of anti- communist magnetism, it proposes a theoretical explanation for the seemingly random behavior of this phenomenon. The study takes as its starting point the theorizations about communism produced by Bolsonarists themselves, then proceeds to describe and associate them with other historical manifestations of anti-communism in Brazil. Finally, it theorizes the structuring of the idea of communism within Bolsonarism as a framework standardized by historical compositions of common sense and the status quo. The actors in these compositions are attracted or repelled depending on whether their nature is, respectively, offensive or pleasing to the status quo and common sense.With the support of other technical terms from the theoretical apparatus of anti-communist magnetism, this dissertation argues that Bolsonarism’s idea of communism operates under two parameters: (1) defining what communism is based on what offends common sense, and (2) defining who communists are as those who question the maintenance of the traditionalist status quo. This semantic dynamic arises because anti-communist magnetism is causally rooted in defending the status quo, while its purpose is the dual task of popularizing the status quo’s preservation and delegitimizing popular arguments from forces challenging the established order. The theoretical-methodological framework draws on Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as developed by Bruno Latour, John Law, and Michel Callon. Historically, the dissertation engages with Rodrigo Patto Sá Motta’s studies on Brazilian anti-communism.