The Olavo de Carvalho Reader

The Olavo de Carvalho Reader, a far-reaching selection of philosophical essays by the celebrated Brazilian philosopher available for the first time in English, presents indispensable writings that have generated an intellectual revival in Brazil and beyond. Following Carvalho’s definition of philosophy as the ＂search for unity of knowledge in the unity of consciousness, and vice-versa,＂ it lays out the historical roots of the current cultural crisis in the West--both in the phenomenon he called ＂cognitive parallax＂ and then in the advent of the ＂revolutionary mind.＂ Averse to utopian thinking, Carvalho’s analyses are often responses to events that have shaped the history of ideas and their factual consequences. His approach seeks truth and expresses reality as Carvalho sees it, resisting pressure to conform to the collective and reaffirming the power of individual consciousness. In writings from a period of over three decades, this edition introduces the reader to one of the greatest philosophers of our time.

Olavo de Carvalho (1947-2022) was a Brazilian philosopher, professor, journalist, and the best-selling author of some forty books. In 2009, Carvalho founded the Online Philosophy Course, in which he delivered hundreds of lectures containing original insights in epistemology, metaphysics, the philosophical method, political science, and modern philosophy. His books and lectures have attracted immense interest in Brazil and abroad. Carvalho lived in Virginia from 2005 until his death. His work continues to be studied closely in fulfillment of what Carvalho stated was his only goal: to educate and encourage people in the pursuit of truth and philosophy, which he defines as ＂the unity of knowledge in the unity of consciousness, and vice versa.＂