Suzane de Alencar Vieira

Pragmáticas do perigo

Introduction

Pragmáticas do perigo. Etnografia no sertão baiano explora catástrofe climática e éticas ecológicas. Via Povinelli, propõe "pragmáticas do perigo" contra o geontopoder.

Abstract

Este artigo busca descrever algumas transformações nas perspectivas analíticas sobre a catástrofe climática ao longo de minha pesquisa etnográfica sobre as éticas ecológicas do sertão de Caetité, na Bahia, a partir do diálogo com conceitos, estratégias e proposições de Elizabeth Povinelli. Os axiomas e as analíticas da existência de Povinelli ajudam a coordenar o problema da catástrofe ambiental com as formações de poder do capitalismo liberal e a emergência do sujeito ético que enuncia suas reflexões e reorienta suas práticas. O objetivo deste artigo é mostrar a guerra que se trava na linguagem contra o geontopoder na produção do sertão e nas derivas semióticas de minhas/meus interlocutoras/es do Quilombo de Malhada, localizado no município de Caetité-BA, em suas práticas de enunciação de problemas ambientais e coloniais. Para abordar as perturbações ambientais e coloniais a partir das inquietações de minhas e meus interlocutoras/es, desenvolvo o dispositivo analítico das pragmáticas do perigo como um enquadramento possível de uma ética ecológica dissidente que persiste no sertão.

Review

The article "Pragmáticas do perigo" offers an insightful and theoretically ambitious exploration of climate catastrophe from an ethnographic perspective rooted in the sertão of Caetité, Bahia. The author skillfully proposes to trace transformations in analytical approaches to environmental disaster, drawing heavily on the conceptual toolkit of Elizabeth Povinelli, particularly her "axiomas e analíticas da existência" and the concept of "geontopoder." The central aim is to connect the pervasive problem of climate change with the power formations inherent in liberal capitalism, while simultaneously highlighting the emergence of an ethical subject who reflects and reorients their practices. This immediate framing suggests a nuanced anthropological engagement with critical theory, promising a deep dive into the intertwined nature of environmental degradation and colonial legacies within a specific Brazilian context. A significant strength of this work lies in its innovative application of Povinelli's sophisticated theoretical framework to the lived experiences of a Quilombo community in Brazil. By focusing on the "semiotic drifts" and enunciative practices of interlocutors from Quilombo de Malhada, the article promises to illuminate how local communities engage in a "war in language against geontopower" in their understanding and articulation of environmental and colonial problems. The introduction of "pragmáticas do perigo" as an analytical device for an "ética ecológica dissidente" is a particularly original contribution. This concept appears to offer a powerful lens through which to analyze persistent ecological ethics and modes of resistance within the sertão, moving beyond conventional understandings of vulnerability to highlight agency and alternative worldviews. The ethnographic foundation ensures that these complex theoretical discussions remain grounded in tangible realities. While the abstract presents a compelling agenda, the full article would benefit from a more explicit development of how the "pragmáticas do perigo" operates as an analytical device and how it manifests empirically in the Quilombo community's practices. Further clarification on the precise nature of the "war in language" against geontopower – whether it is explicit linguistic resistance, subtle discursive shifts, or embodied practices – would enrich the discussion. Given the article's theoretical breadth, it would also be valuable to understand how the author navigates the interplay between Povinelli's broad critiques of liberal capitalism and the specific, situated experiences of climate change and colonialism in Caetité. A brief discussion situating this research within broader anthropological literature on environmental justice in Brazil, indigenous ecological knowledge, or postcolonial environmentalism would further underscore its scholarly contribution.

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