Seminário Livre de História das Ideias
The Seminário Livre de História das Ideias (SLHI) was formed, in the early 1990s, through the efforts of former master’s degree students in Cultural and Political History of the Universidade Nova of Lisbon. Its foremost objective was to create an arena for critical thought and research that provided continuity for the seminars of the master’s degree course.
After the initial moment of introducing and discussing individual studies concerning different subjects of shared interest, the Seminário went on to combine the activity derived from the permanent and collective work in the field of Theory and History of Ideas with the design and implementation of research projects dedicated to contemporary cultural and political Portuguese history.
The initial projects focused on the period of the liberal revolution, and were followed by an inflection towards the history of intellectuals and, subsequently, to the magazines of ideas and culture of the 20th century.
In paying special attention to the Portuguese magazines of the previous century we intend to contribute not only to the study of the evolution of the individual and collective doctrines, themes and sensibilities which were built around these periodicals, but also to provide universal access to the complete collections of some of the more significant titles, by effecting their electronic republication in accordance with strict and innovative scientific and technical standards.
Among the scientific results of the research group, which maintains its original designation of Seminário Livre de História das Ideias, are various publications, such as the collective books Lisboa, 1821. A cidade e os políticos (1996), Dreyfus e a responsabilidade intelectual (1999), Dicionário do vintismo e do primeiro cartismo (2002), Revistas, ideias e doutrinas. Leituras do pensamento contemporâneo (2002), Atlântida. A invenção da comunidade luso-brasileira (2013), Representações da República (2013). In the field of articles appearing in specialized publications, the thematic issue “O tempo das revistas”, for Cultura. Revista de História e Teoria das Ideias (2009), should be highlighted. In what regards the study and digital reproduction of periodicals, we find the DVD editions of Alma Nacional (2004), O Tempo e o Modo, first and new series (2006 and 2008), the webpages dedicated to Estudos Sociais and Portugália (2005), and the Atlântida (2015), Revistas de Ideias e Cultura, Nova Silva, A Águia, and A Vida Portuguesa (2016) websites.
The research and editorial activities of the Seminário have been carried out in close collaboration with the Fundação Mário Soares and the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal, and have received funding from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, the Assembleia da República, the Centro Nacional de Cultura, and the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian.
Since January 2014, the work of the autonomous research team of the SLHI has taken place within the institutional framework of the activities developed by the Centro de História d’Aquém e d’Além-Mar, of the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and the Universidade dos Açores.
