Published Works of Olavo de Carvalho

The titles listed below are only available in Brazilian-Portuguese. 
Foreign rights inquiries can be sent to <academy[at]olavodecarvalho.com>

Aristotle in a New Perspective: Introduction to the Theory of the Four Discourses. Original title: "Aristóteles em nova perspectiva: Introdução à teoria dos quatro discursos"—1st edition 1994, latest edition 2013. 

This book is an original contribution to universal philosophy and to the Aristotelian studies. 

By the author's own words: There is a core idea embedded in the works of Aristotle, and it has escaped the attention of almost all his readers and commentators from Antiquity to the present day. Even those who have grasped it down through the millennia—I know of only two—merely noted it in passing, without explicitly affording it any decisive importance with regard to a comprehensive understanding of Aristotle’s philosophy. And yet, it is the very key to such an understanding, if by that we mean the act of capturing the unity of a man’s thought right from his own intentions and values, rather than judging it from the outside in; an act that implies carefully respecting what is written between the lines, as it were, instead of smothering the work under some wrongheaded idolatry of the reified text, the very tomb of thought. I call it the Theory of the Four Discourses, and it can basically be summed up as follows: human discourse is a single power that manifests in four distinct ways: poetics, rhetoric, dialectic, and analytics (logic).

"If Voegelin had read this, he would have incorporated Olavo de Carvalho’s thought into his own to explain how we proceed from perception to science.”—FREDERICK WAGNER, Eric Voegelin Society, letter to the Author, February 14th, 2005.

“I have known Olavo de Carvalho and his work since the spring of 2006. At that time, I had the pleasure to edit his very fine manuscript, entitled “Aristotle in a New Perspective”. After editing the manuscript, I took the uncharacteristic step of forwarding it (with the author's permission) to a few of my former professors at the University of Notre Dame. I did so because I was quite certain that the manuscript marked a highly original contribution to our understanding of Aristotle — which is no easy feat, given the sheer volume of scholarship surrounding this ancient thinker.” —JODI BRUHN, Ph.D. Research Fellow, Institute On Governance, Ottawa, Canada.

The Garden of Afflictions: From Epicurus to the Resurrection of Caesar: An Essay on Materialism and Civil Religion. Original title: "O Jardim das Aflições: De Epicuro à ressurreição de César: ensaio sobre o Materialismo e a Religião Civil"—1st edition 1995; latest edition 2019. 

 By the author's own words: The fundamental thesis of this essay is that the history of the West is shaped by the idea of Empire and its successive attempts at restructuring; despite its different clothing, the ultimate goal remains the same: to expand the domains of the Empire to the limits of the visible world.

“If his work distinguishes itself from the shallow and pedantic prose of contemporary philosophers, it is mainly for its lively and good humored style, for its generous erudition and for its tireless search for intellectual honesty.”—A. F. BORGES.

New Age and Cultural Revolution: Fritjof Capra and Antonio Gramsci. Original title: A Nova Era e a Revolução Cultural : Fritjof Capra & Antonio Gramsci"—1st edition 1994, latest edition 2019. In this book, Olavo de Carvalho describes the impact of the works of Fritjof Capra and Antonio Gramsci upon Brazilian culture and politics.

The Future of Brazilian Thought: Studies on Our Place in the World. Original title: “O Futuro do Pensamento Brasileiro: Estudos Sobre o Nosso Lugar no Mundo.” 1st edition 1997, latest edition 2016. Olavo de Carvalho introduces the reader to the four main Brazilian intellectuals and their contributions to universal culture: Gilberto Freyre, Mário Ferreira dos Santos, Miguel Reale, and Otto Maria Carpeaux—, and meditates upon the incapacity of Brazilian society to recognize and learn with its greatest talents. 

The Symbolic Dialectics. Original title: A Dialética Simbólica. 1st edition 2007, latest edition 2015. This book has some of Carvalho’s greatest essays on poetics and dialectics: “Literary Genres: Their Metaphysical Foundations”, based upon the symbolism of traditional languages, Carvalho restores the distinction among the literary genres and their correlation with reality; “Symbols and Myths in the film ‘The Silence of the Lambs’.” Olavo de Carvalho presents an original analysis of the film The Silence of the Lambs and uncovers the traditional initiatory structure that underlies Jonathan Demme’s Academy Award-winning thriller.

Machiavelli or the Demonic Confusion. Original title: "Maquiavel ou A Confusão Demoníaca”, 1st edition 2011, latest edition 2019. The Prince is one of the most studied books in political sciences. Olavo lays out the real truth behind Machiavelli and The Prince. Far from being some type of scholar, or objective political scientist, Machiavelli laid traps for his reader. He quoted the Bible, but would flip its meaning on its head, to spread confusion. Stalin and Hitler both studied Machiavelli. He posed as a realist when in fact his analysis was the height of naivety.

Visions of Descartes: Between the Evil Genius and the Spirit of Truth. Original title: “Visões de Descartes: Entre o Gênio Mau e o Espírito da Verdade” (2013). “The thesis that I present in this small book can be summarized as follows: the 'Evil Genius' referred to by Descartes is not a literary device nor a 'psychological instrument' used to give more credibility to the certainty of the ego cogitans, but is the true central theme of the Meditations on First Philosophy, the philosopher's greatest work. Descartes' project there is not to overcome mere theoretical doubt regarding the possibility of knowledge, but to appease the fear of the 'death of the soul' without resorting to faith or theological arguments of any kind."

The USA and the New World Order: A Debate Between Olavo de Carvalho and Aleksandr Dugin

“Os EUA e a Nova Ordem Mundial: Um debate entre Olavo de Carvalho e Aleksandr Dugin” (2012). — Both participants respond to the following question: “What are the historical, political, ideological, and economic factors and actors that now define the dynamics and configuration of power in the world, and what is the U.S. position in what is known as the New World Order?” [FREE ACCESS]

Philosophy and the Inverse Thereof. Original: “A Filosofia e o seu Inverso” (2012).

“No one described this spirit better than Eric Voegelin when he stated that, as the old "cosmological" sense of life orientation, in which the order of existence appeared as an image of the cosmos, was lost, philosophy emerged as an attempt to find a new ordering principle, no longer in the contemplation of the physical universe, but in the interiority of the soul. In the general confusion of the world, the philosopher seeks to order their own soul to take it as a measure for assessing the external disorder.” —Chapter “Philosophy and the Inverse Thereof”

Edmund Husserl Against Psychologism.  Original: “Edmund Husserl contra o Psicologismo” (2020). Between 1992 and 1993, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Olavo de Carvalho taught a course on Edmund Husserl on Logical Investigations. The classes were transcribed by the students, which generated material with around seven hundred pages, which has now received editorial treatment more appropriate for publication. The book that the reader holds in their hands is the result of this process, guided by the conservation of orality and the expository order adopted by the author during the course.

Introduction to the Philosophy of Louis Lavelle. Original: “Introdução à filosofia de Louis Lavelle” (2021). This volume is based on the course about the philosophy of Louis Lavelle, delivered by Olavo de Carvalho in May 2013, in Virginia. Divided into six chapters, the content ranges from the biographical aspects of the French philosopher's career to the explanation of the main concepts of his philosophy.

Carvalho introduces the concept that Lavelle's dialectical method combines inner experience with logical reasoning with great subtlety. Readers of this edition, especially those who read Lavelle's books, need the most disciplined attention and the most devoted sincerity. As a result, they can expect the widening of their own consciousness and awareness and benefit from a sharper understanding of philosophy—or reality itself, if they prefer.

This book is an introduction to the French author’s works while it contains great insights of Carvalho as he is seeking the original purpose of philosophy as a pursuit of knowledge in one’s consciousness. Louis Lavelle was an important intellectual reference for Olavo de Carvalho and the study of both philosophers is more relevant today than ever.

The Consciousness of Immortality. Original: A consciência de imortalidade (2021). “If we are immortal, we must be so in essence and not by accident. Immortality is, therefore, our true condition and the realm of reality in which we truly exist. In this case, the present bodily life is nothing more than a tiny fraction of our reality, a momentary appearance that veils our true substance. Consequently, all the knowledge we can acquire within the confines of bodily existence is merely an appearance within an appearance. Even though it may grasp genuine aspects of reality, it cannot find its own foundation within itself; rather, it must seek it in the sphere of immortality.” —Chapter “Immortality as a Premise of the Philosophical Method.”

Intelligence and Truth. Original: Inteligência e Verdade. This is a collection of essays, handouts, transcribed classes and personal notes by Olavo de Carvalho on the themes of truth and the human capacity for knowledge. It compiles and organizes texts considered by Philosophy Seminar students to be classics and fundamental to the author's thought, such as The Problem of Truth and the Truth of the Problem, On Loving Contemplation, Being and Knowing, The Triple Intuition and others — in addition to the one whose name baptizes the entire collection, Intelligence and truth. Intelligence is not limited to the mere cognitive aspect: if the power to know the truth constitutes the seed of intelligence, this seed only flourishes through the initiative of the will, and also through the will it weakens and dies. Will means the exercise of freedom. When you grasp that something is true, it means you have accepted that it is true, and when you grasp that it is false, it means you have rejected it. Now, whoever accepts or rejects is not a particular faculty, but it is you as a whole, in an act of free will. This means that intelligence is inseparably the synthesis of a cognitive aptitude and a desire to know. If there were teaching aimed at developing intelligence, it would have to, first of all, accustom the student to wanting the truth in all circumstances and not running away from it. Therefore, the exercise of intelligence necessarily has an ethical, moral side. Plato said: “Truth known is truth obeyed” — Olavo de Carvalho

The Sao Paulo Forum: The Rise of Latin American Communism. Original: O Foro de São Paulo: ascensão do comunismo latino-americano (2022)—The world has never seen, on such a gigantic scale, such an intimate, persistent, organized and long-lasting coexistence between politics and crime. In 1990, on the initiative of Fidel Castro and Lula, the first “Meeting of left-wing parties and organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean” took place in São Paulo. The meeting, which would later be known as the São Paulo Forum, brought together dozens of political parties and criminal organizations, such as the FARC and the Chilean MIR. Since then, the strategic articulation between politicians, dictators and terrorists has dictated the direction of Latin American political life, with the complicit silence of the mainstream media.

The Collective Imbecile: Brazilian Incultural News. Original title: “O Imbecil Coletivo: Atualidades inculturais brasileiras.” 1st edition 1994, latest edition 2021. This book is always sold out and remains one of Carvalho’s best sellers in Brazil. Some well-spoken intellectuals, with their ideas, are together put to prove. Instead of remaining the intelligentsia they are known for, Olavo de Carvalho exposes their ignorance and dishonesty. The reader is introduced the phenomena he called ‘collective imbecile,’ meaning a class of high-educated personas who stupify one another with their ideas—along with his theory called ‘cognitive parallax’—that is a disconnection between the axis of intellectuals’ theoretical construction with the axis of their lived experience. 

Series: What Was Left Out from The Imbecile

Original: Série 'O que restou do Imbecil,' in six volumes. Political and cultural analysis. 

Vol. 1: The Cow's Long March to the Swamp “A Longa Marcha da Vaca para o Brejo”— 1st edition 1998, latest edition 2019.

Vol. 2: The juvenile imbecile (O imbecil juvenil);

Vol. 3: The lion and the bones (O leão e os ossos);

Vol. 4: The superior irrational (O irracional superior);

Vol. 5: The death of the sitting duck (A morte do pato);

Vol. 6: The general happiness of the nation (A felicidade geral da nação).

Series: Letters from an Earthling to Planet Brazil. Série Cartas de um Terráqueo ao Planeta Brazil, in ten volumes. 

Vol. 1: The Apotheosis of Dishonesty (A Apoteose da Vigarice, 2013)

Vol. 2: The World as It Never Worked (O Mundo como Jamais Funcionou, 2014)

Vol. 3: A Formula to Drive the World Crazy (A Fórmula para Enlouquecer o Mundo, 2014)

Vol. 4: Revolutionary Inversion in Action (A Inversão Revolucionária em ação, 2015);

Vol. 5: The World Empire of Buffoonery (O império mundial da burla, 2016);

Vol. 6: Duty to Insult (O Dever de Insultar, 2016)

Vol. 7: A Brief Portrait of Brazil (Um Breve Retrato do Brazil, 2017)

Vol. 8: Hysteria in Power (Histéricos no Poder, 2018)

Vol. 9: The Progress of Ignorance (O Progresso da Ignorância, 2019)

Vol. 10: The Wrath of the Imbeciles (A Cólera dos Imbecis, 2019)

How to Win a Debate with No Need to Be Right: Comments on Arthur Schopenhauer’s 'Eristic Dialectics' (Translator and Editor). Original title: “Como Vencer Um Debate Sem Precisar Ter Razão, Em 38 Estratagemas. Dialética Erística.” 1st edition 1997, latest edition 2019. Besides rendering Arthur Schopenhauer’s “Die kunst, Recht zu Behalten” into Portuguese, Olavo de Carvalho furnishes that little handbook against intellectual dishonesty with an illuminating introduction, footnotes, and commentary on the writings of the German philosopher. 

[To be updated]