José Vieira Couto e a mineralogia no Brasil do século XIX / José Vieira Couto end mineralogy in the Brazil of century XIX

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2005

RESUMO

The purpose of this work is to analyze the mineralogical aspects of the Memories about the Captaincy of Minas Gerais, result of journeys undertaken by the Brazilian naturalist José Vieira Couto, at the end of the XVIII Century and beginning of the XIX Century. Coutos memories make history of an intense period of search for social and economical development in Portugal, due to the emphasis on Natural Science, the search for knowledge on Scientific Expeditions, the Portuguese teaching reform and attempts to implement ore mining and foundry techniques in Brazil and Portugal. The research aims to the two first Memories wrote by José Vieira Couto in 1799 and 1801. In order to understand the Science, remarkably the mineralogy and diamond extraction, as well as to situate Couto in his period, some opposite ideas are presented as their were discussed in the scope of the Natural Sciences. The intention is also to verify how these ideas were used by the Brazilian naturalist to form his thought, looking for support for his arguments, in favor of the need for changes in the economical and technical aspects of the diamond extraction. During this search, we keep comparing, always when necessary, the findings of the Brazilian naturalist with other foreigner travelers whose works were published in the first decades of the XIX Century. At last, the absence of an educational development policy and the inefficient extraction techniques, generating difficulties for a better use of the Brazilian ores in the XIX Century, will conduct our research, allowing to emphasize the importance of the texts of José Vieira Couto for the History of Science in Brazil

ASSUNTO(S)

mineralogy diamonds mineralogia ciencia -- historia mineralogia -- brasil -- historia historia das ciencias couto, jose vieira 1752-1827 memorias sobre a capitania de minas gerais -- historia e critica diamantes

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