Progresso e capitalismo

Orientador: Renato Peixoto DagninoDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de GeocienciasResumo: O paradigma do progresso constitui o pilar fundamental sobre o qual estão assentados os principais valores da sociedade ocidental. O processo que conduz à sua hegemonia sobre o paradigma da decadência histórica e dos ciclos recorrentes, ocorre paralelamente à consolidação do Capitalismo, e isto revela a existência de fortes vínculos entre este modo de produção e o paradigma do progresso. Primeiramente, porque o sistema capitalista tem um caráter eminentemente progressivo. A contínua introdução de inovações e as sucessivas modificações nos produtos e nos processos produtivos acaba consolidando, perante o senso comum, a idéia de um mundo em permanente evolução. São essas constantes transformações que nutrem o paradigma do progresso. Em segundo lugar, ao instalar-se, o Capitalismo rompeu com o misticismo e com o autoritarismo, que legitimavam a forma de dominação anterior. Os antagonismos de classes, inerentes ao modo de produção capitalista, exigiam uma nova base ideológica que mantivesse o conflito entre as classes num nível que não ameaçasse o processo de acumulação capitalista. É o paradigma do progresso que vai garantir isso. Nesse contexto, a acumulação capitalista se coloca como única alternativa viável para garantir o atendimento das necessidades das massas, e a burguesia aparece como a classe portadora de um projeto social que pode resultar na melhoria das condições de vida de toda a sociedade. Nesse processo, o progresso humano e social acaba sendo percebido como progresso técnico e material e os avanços do Capitalismo, nessa direção, adquirem, perante o senso comum, a aprovação e a aceitação que somente são dadas a um caminho quando não existe nenhum outro a seguir. Isto acontece porque o capital, ao incorporar a ciência e submeter o trabalho científico à sua lógica e ao fortalecer os laços entre a ciência e a tecnologia, acaba por conquistar, um poderoso instrumento ideológico: a idéia de neutralidade e racionalidade da sua tecnologia e do seu sistema produtivoAbstract: The paradigm of progress constitutes the keystone on which the essential values of westem society are erected. Its preponderance coincides with the consolidation of Capitalism and shows the strong links between this mode of production and the paradigm of progresso In the first place, this can be attributed to the highly progressive character of the capitalist system. The continuous introduction of innovations and the successive transformation of products and productive procedures contribute to consolidating, in the eyes of the public, the idea of a continuously evolving world. The paradigm of progress is sustained by these constant transformations. In second place, as Capitalism carne into itself, it broke its ties with the mysticism and authoritarianism that legitimated the former dominant paradigm. The antagonism between classes, inherent in the capitalist mode of production, demanded a new ideological basis that could make a minimallevel of cohesion arnong the conflicting classes possible. This cohesion will be assured by the paradigm of progresso In this context, capitalist accumulation offers itself as the only viable altemative to ensure the satisfaction of the necessities of the lower classes, and the bourgeoisie appears as the c1ass with a social project that could improve the standard of living for society as a whole. In this process, human and social progress comes to be thought of in terms of technical and material progresso The advancements of Capitalism, in this direction, receive a degree of universal approval and acceptance that are only given to one path, when no other exists. This happens because capital, when it embodies sciendce and subjects scientific work to its logic, thus stregthening the ties between Science and the Techonology, succeeds in conquering a powerful ideological instrument: the idea of neutrality and rationality of its technology and its productive systemMestradoMestre em Política Científica e Tecnológic

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora