Constitucionalismo abusivo e psicologia das massas: as marcas do autoritarismo no Brasil durante o governo de ultradireita de 2019-2022

Abstract

This research is based on the issue arising from the following question: "how can mass psychology, in the Brazilian context, assist in understanding democratic erosion and the rise of a typically authoritarian leader?" whose hypothesis led to the development of a bibliographic and documentary review research using the hypothetical-deductive method. In terms of the general objective, the aim was to demonstrate that some individuals are more prone to joining groups led by authoritarian figures. As a specific objective, it sought to demonstrate the risks to democracy due to Heads of Government who attempt to subvert the constitutional order (disregarding the rules of the game). To achieve this, in terms of specific objectives, the chapters are organized based on distinct theoretical frameworks: in the first chapter, the work of anthropologist Lilia Moritz Schwarcz "On Brazilian Authoritarianism" (2019) is adopted as a theoretical framework to elucidate the roots of authoritarianism in our country. In parallel to this, in the second chapter, the article "Abusive Constitutionalism" originally employed by David Landau is used to demonstrate how legal and constitutional mechanisms are currently used to undermine democratic order. In this chapter, the work "How Democracies Die" by political scientists Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt is also used, notably the test developed by the authors to assess the main indicators of authoritarian behavior. Finally, in the third chapter, the works of Sigmund Freud, "Group Psychology and the Analysis of the Ego" (2020), as well as "The Authoritarian Personality," (2019) and the essay "Freudian Theory and the Pattern of Fascist Propaganda” (2015), both by Theodor W. Adorno, are adopted as theoretical frameworks to understand the reasons why individuals behave irrationally when part of a group and, furthermore, to comprehend, from psychological and sociological perspectives, the pattern of fascist propaganda and, above all, why some individuals are more receptive to it than others. In terms of results, the research demonstrated that mass psychology can provide relevant elements to explain the rise of authoritarian and antidemocratic groups in Brazil from 2019 to 2022. This is because the libidinal pattern explored by Freud revealed the bond among individuals in the group, as well as their connection with the leader, which helps us understand the "soul of the crowd" and its ability to suggest to individuals, once rational, to engage in regressive behaviors.