THE APPROPRIATION OF THE MEDICAL-ANTHROPOLOGICAL DISCOURSE BY THE BRAZILIAN LEGISLATIVE POWER:

EUGENICS AS A REGENERATING UTOPIA IN THE CONSTITUENT OF 1934

Abstract

Between the end of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century, Brazilian intellectuals identified themselves with medical-anthropological discourses, which apparently presented paths for the development of the country through modern and regenerating social engineering projects. Among these paradigms, eugenics, a theory created by Francis Galton, conquered followers from different areas, some of them with prominent political roles. This article analyses the diffusion of eugenic ideas in debates held in the legislative power contexts during the National Constituent Assembly, between 1933 and 1934. The research sources were the Annaes da Assembléa Nacional Constituinte, which were published by the National Press in Brazil. The article seeks to understand how eugenics influenced debates on education, public health, immigration, and marriage.