António Sérgio
António Sérgio de Sousa was an influential educationist, philosopher, journalist, sociologist and essayist from Portugal.
Background
He was the only son and representative of António Sérgio de Sousa - only son and representative of the 98th Governor-General of Portuguese India, 64th Governor of Angola, 59th Governor of Macau and 1st Viscount of Sérgio de Sousa -, and second wife Ana Maria Henriques de Brito.Sérgio was an important intellectual, thinker, and Portuguese politician. Born in Damão, India he was influenced by the contact with different cultures. He lived many years in Africa, becoming a cosmopolitan character because, following a family tradition, he studied at the Military College, in Lisbon, Portugal completing the course of the Navy of War, after which he traveled to Cape Verde and Macao, China. He left the Navy with the establishment of the Republic in 1910. Sérgio did not consider the issue of republic versus monarchy important. For him, the economic progress and welfare of Portugal was more significant. He spoke about "socialism", although this was not connected with "Marxist socialism". Sérgio was located in a social democratic political line, admiring England, a position similar to the one adopted by the countries of Scandinavia and their Social-Democratic Parties. Sérgio died in Lisbon, Portugal.
Culture
He was a personal friend of Adolphe Ferrière, Claparède and Paul Langevin - the doctoral advisor of Louis de Broglie ; he was teacher, including at the University of Santiago de Compostela and, by all this, influenced characters as his friend Barahona Fernandes - one of the most distinguished Portuguese psychiatrists - the architect Raul Lino, the Educator Rui Grácio and Mário Soares. One may consider him as an "Educator of Generations". He was Minister of "Public Instruction" for two months and ten days in the government of Alvaro de Castro.Political action
He was a permanent political opponent of the regime of António de Oliveira Salazar, which lasted from 1926 to 1974. He was also linked to the foundation of the Portuguese Socialist Party and to the Humberto Delgado candidacy of the Presidential Elections of 1958.. Sérgio was arrested in 1910, 1933, 1935, 1948 and 1958. And about this he thought that it was in prison he found the true "national unity" - to oppose the military dictatorship, first, and then Salazar.He left an enormous work on Education, Epistemology, Culture, History and Politics, especially in his Essays. Most of the political activity of Sérgio is always compatible with its theoretical aspect - the linking of democracy and freedom as means for Education and Culture. He was also important for his contribution to the introduction of Cooperatives in Portugal.
"The essential principle of democracy is never trust in those who are in the Govern" he wrote. His work influenced many important younger Portuguese, men of culture, science or politics.