“Our university deeply regrets the passing of professor Roberto Romano,” said the rector of Unicamp, Antonio José Meirelles. “After facing complications as a result of Covid-19, he joins the many victims of the pandemic in our country, resulting from the little attention that some of our authorities gave to this tragedy that affects the world”, he added.
One of the most important names in Human Sciences in Brazil, the philosopher, writer and professor Roberto Romano died this Thursday (22), aged 75, due to complications arising from Covid-19. According to his stepson, Roberto Franco Moreira, he had been hospitalized since June 14th at the Heart Institute (InCor), linked to the Hospital de Clínicas of the University of São Paulo (USP). Romano was a retired professor at the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH) at Unicamp and one of the most respected voices in academia.
Author of several books, including Brazil: Church against State (Editora Kairós, 1979), Romantic conservatism: Origin of totalitarianism (Editora da Unesp, 2001), Silêncio e Ruído: a satire in Denis Diderot (Editora da Unicamp, 1996), Reason of State and other states of reason (Editora Perspectiva, 2014), Romano had a degree in Philosophy from USP and a PhD in Philosophy from the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales, in Paris. The philosopher was also a columnist for Jornal da Unicamp.
Deeply knowledgeable about the social and historical reality of Brazil, Romano was known for his unconditional defense of human rights and his profound ability to analyze the political situation. In his books, articles and interviews, not only an impeccable academic foundation shines through, but also a life full of stories, struggles and a great effort to understand the national reality, past and present.
Born in the small town of Jaguapitã, in the north of Paraná, close to the border with São Paulo, Romano was married for 50 years to sociologist Maria Sylvia de Carvalho Franco, a member of Florestan Fernandes' class and author of the book Men livre na Ordem dos Slavocrats (São Paulo: Institute of Brazilian Studies, University of São Paulo, 1969). The philosopher also leaves behind two stepchildren: Luíza Moreira, who is a professor in the United States, and Roberto Moreira, filmmaker and professor at USP. Two granddaughters complete the family nucleus.
When he was young, Romano moved with his family to Marília, where he attended junior high and high school. At this time, he joined the Catholic Student Youth. In 1969, during the military dictatorship, he was arrested and taken to the Navy Information Center (Cenimar) and, shortly afterwards, to the headquarters of the Department of Political and Social Order (DOPS), in São Paulo. He spent around two months at Dops, where he was tortured. At the end of 1970, after being interviewed by the Military Audit, he was released and began studying philosophy at USP. In the end, he was acquitted due to lack of evidence.
Attentive to the Brazilian reality, Romano followed the evolution of the pandemic in the country with apprehension. In an article published in Jornal da Unicamp, in June 2020, entitled “Brazil: the murder of the spirit”, the philosopher once again cast a critical eye on the federal government’s denialist conduct. “If the president classifies a tragic illness as 'simple flu' and denies scientific knowledge by imposing pharmaceuticals, we are at the dawn of fascism.” And he concluded: “Magnificent Rectors, you are representatives of scientists and teachers in the thousands and, for this reason, immediate targets. I wish everyone complete success in the tormenting task of honoring the ethical and academic authority of the campuses. The obscurantist project will be defeated.”
In the words of Antonio José Meirelles, Roberto Romano played the role of an intellectual of the first magnitude. “He has always been characterized by his defense of public education and our institutions that promote science and technology”, he pointed out. According to the rector, Romano represented an eloquent voice in favor of ethics in institutions and in the development of human relationships. “An ethics based on the search for equality and solidarity”. And he added: “He always took a firm stand for inclusion policies in our universities and for social justice in our country. We are very proud to have had you as a member of our university community. We express our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues and our great sadness at this loss.”
Read published article on the website of the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences.
Read articles by Roberto Romano published in Jornal da Unicamp
Check out the latest video recorded with Roberto Romano for the program "Direto na Fonte":
Watch the program Diálogo sem Fronteira: Brazil leaving the elections. Recorded in 2014
Watch the program Palavras Cruzadas: Brazil in Perspective after the indignados of June 2013
