Gerd Alberto Bornheim (1929–2002), born in Caxias do Sul, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, was one of the principal introducers and interpreters of existentialism and phenomenology in Brazil. His intellectual activity spanned a broad field: beyond existentialism, he devoted himself to dialectics, to the study of the Pre-Socratic philosophers, and to the philosophy of art and theatre. A professor at several institutions—among them the USP, the UFRGS, the UERJ and the PUC—he played a decisive role in the philosophical formation of several generations. His writing combines expository clarity with conceptual rigour, which made works such as his introduction to philosophising and his study of Sartre standard reading for philosophy students across the country.

Key Concepts

  • Existentialism and Sartre’s work (Sartre: Metafísica e Existencialismo): an interpretation of Sartrean philosophy, examining its metaphysical dimensions and the articulation between existence, freedom and consciousness.
  • Dialectics as theory and praxis (Dialética: Teoria e Práxis): an examination of the method and concept of dialectics, considering both its theoretical dimension and its relation to transformative action.
  • Philosophy of art and theatre (O Sentido e a Máscara): a reflection on art, especially theatre, addressing the relations between meaning, representation and expression.
  • Pre-Socratic thought (Os Filósofos Pré-Socráticos): an introductory study of the first Greek philosophers, focused on the origins of Western philosophical thought.
  • Introduction to philosophising (Introdução ao Filosofar): a formative work on the meaning and procedures of philosophical activity.

Influenced by

  • Jean-Paul Sartre — existentialism and phenomenological ontology
  • The phenomenological tradition (Husserl, Heidegger, Merleau-Ponty)
  • Hegelian and Marxist dialectics
  • The Pre-Socratic philosophers — the object of his studies on the origins of philosophy

Influenced

  • Philosophy students and teachers trained through his manuals and studies
  • The Brazilian reception of existentialism and phenomenology
  • Reflection on the philosophy of art and theatre in Brazil
  • University teaching of philosophy at several institutions

Works

Among his works are Sartre: Metafísica e Existencialismo, Dialética: Teoria e Práxis, O Sentido e a Máscara, Introdução ao Filosofar and Os Filósofos Pré-Socráticos, together with numerous essays on aesthetics, theatre and the history of philosophy.

See also

Sartre Merleau-Ponty Marilena Chaui