Duels and intellectuals in the Brazil (1886-1892)

During the final years of the Empire and the beginning of the Republic, dueling was experienced by a small group of educated and socially well-placed men as a fad. Its analysis allows us to apprehend the relations established between social classes and the way alternative resources to the state sphere, especially regarding the use of private violence, could be mobilized to solve personal disputes. Although potentially lethal, the duel served less to repair supposedly injured honor than as a means employed to increase and ensure group cohesion through social distinction.

Keywords:
Duels; Intellectuals; Sociology of Violence.