THE INFLUENCE OF THE 'CAPITÃO DO MATO' FIGURE ON CURRENT LABOR RELATIONS IN BRAZIL

Authors

• Cleber Augusto A’Costa de Lima
• Fabrício Leo Alves Schmidt

Abstract

This article proposes an overview of the origins and evolutions of the concept of work, weaving connections from the biblical narratives of Genesis to contemporary Brazil, permeated by the legacy of the slaveholding period. We begin with the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise, a moment when work is imposed as divine punishment, outlining the primal relationship between humanity and labor from a punitive perspective. We then progress through ancient Greek and Roman times, highlighting the valorization of intellect over manual labor, a perspective that extends and evolves with the fall of the Roman Empire and the subsequent rise of feudalism, under the influence of the Catholic Church, reinforcing work as penance. Transitioning through the Renaissance, we note a brief rescue of Greco-Roman values, although the medieval conception of work as punishment persists, evolving with social and cultural advancements into modernity, where the value of the individual is measured by their productive capacity, exacerbated by the industrial revolution and technological advancement. This panorama serves as a prelude to the central focus of the study: the influence of slavery on labor relations in Brazil. Brazil, as the last Western country to abolish slavery, carries in its social and labor structures the deep marks of this legacy. Therefore, the article delves into Brazilian labor practices from colonization to modernity, highlighting how slavery shaped work relations, perpetuating inequalities and discriminations that resonate to this day. Through a historical review, it seeks to understand how slavery influences contemporary labor practices in Brazil, keeping alive the segregation and devaluation of manual work in a cycle of discrimination that challenges legislative and social advances.