Article



Dados vol. 54 n. 3 Rio de Janeiro 2011

Economist in the labyrinth: an obituary for Antonio Barros de Castro

Prado, Luiz Carlos Delorme - Bastian, Eduardo F

Abstract

Antonio Barros de Castro participated actively for 40 years in the academic life and public debate on development policies. This insightful intellectual belonged to a generation of professors that influenced both the academic debate and Brazilian society's interpretations of its problems and alternatives. Castro stood out for his meticulous analysis of the problems he studied and for his critical acumen, having spearheaded various debates on the country's economic problems and the strategy to overcome them. According to his interpretation, Brazil was a case of interrupted economic 'catch-up', and a major portion of his research work focused on the discussion of alternatives for the country to resume its path to sustained growth. The current article aims to discuss some of the principal themes and studies developed by Castro during his long and successful academic career, as an overview of the economist's contributions.

Keywords: economic development, Brazilian economic thought, Brazil's economic history

DOI: 10.1590/S0011-52582011000300001

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Economist in the labyrinth: an obituary for Antonio Barros de Castro