CONTROLE SOCIAL E EDUCAÇÃO: – DO IDEAL PLATÔNICO A REALIDADE MAQUIAVÉLICA
CONTROLE SOCIAL E EDUCAÇÃO: – DO IDEAL PLATÔNICO A REALIDADE MAQUIAVÉLICA
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.81782326050315
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Palavras-chave: Controle Social, Educação, Ideal Platônico, Realidade Maquiavélica.
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Keywords: Social Control, Education, Platonic Ideal, Machiavellian Reality. INTRODUÇÃO
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Abstract: This article analyzes the interrelationship between education and social control within the context of the Democratic Rule of Law, using as an interpretative framework the tension between the Platonic ideal of government and the Machiavellian realist conception of power. The study is based on the premise that the formal existence of transparency and participation mechanisms does not necessarily ensure the effectiveness of social control, particularly in contexts marked by educational deficiencies. Thus, it seeks to understand to what extent the quality of education influences civil society’s capacity to actively participate in the oversight of public policies and the management of state resources. The theoretical and methodological framework is grounded in exploratory-descriptive bibliographic research, based on normative documents, official statistical data, and classical works of political thought. In the educational field, constitutional provisions and the guidelines of the National Education Plan are analyzed, as well as recent indicators regarding schooling levels and functional illiteracy in Brazil. Conceptually, social control is examined from its sociological origins to its incorporation into contemporary public administration. Philosophically, the study engages with Plato’s conception of justice and government— particularly the idea of the philosopher-king as guarantor of order and equality—and with Machiavelli’s political realism, which understands power according to the logic of effectiveness and the maintenance of stability. The results demonstrate that limitations in the population’s educational capital undermine the effectiveness of social control mechanisms, restricting citizen participation to a merely formal dimension. It is concluded that education constitutes a structural element of citizenship and an indispensable condition for democratic strengthening, since only a society equipped with adequate critical formation can substantively exercise oversight over state actions.
- Gabriela Gonçalves