From Old Regime Portugal to Contemporary Brazil: Patrimonial Legacies, Aristocratic Mentalities, and the Delayed Pursuit of Scientific Advancement

This article examines the insights of Portuguese historian Vitorino Magalhães Godinho regarding the extraordinary 18th-century concentration of wealth and land in Portugal’s Catholic Church and nobility—estimated at around 95%—and how these arrangements shaped enduring mentalities. Such structures, grounded in aristocratic privilege and clerical power, discouraged the valuation of labor and marginalized merit-based advancement. We explore how these historical patterns were transferred to Brazil, creating a persistent environment of patrimonialism, public-office impunity, and the devaluation of intellectual and scientific labor. Drawing on Godinho’s works and comparative perspectives from other contexts, as well as data on contemporary Brazilian wealth distribution, corruption cases, and structural inefficiencies in research and development, we argue that these historically ingrained mentalities have hindered Brazil’s scientific and technological progress. Through a discussion of counter-trends and reforms, we highlight potential avenues for transforming these legacies. Ultimately, we propose that recognizing and addressing the historical roots of patrimonialism is essential for fostering a culture that values productive work, upholds the rule of law, and supports scientific innovation in Brazil, a nation of over 200 million inhabitants still awaiting its first Nobel Prize in science.