Order and Progress is the sentence that is written in the Brazilian flag. The message has been the national motto since its formation and was conceived by the philosopher Raimundo Teixeira Mendes in 1889.
In the flag, order means the defense and maintenance of everything that works in a positive way. It is the protection of what is right and good in all aspects of national life.
Progress means the natural advance of society and institutions as a consequence of the defense of order.
The expression order and progress originated in the philosophical and political current of the positivism, emerged in the 19th century. In France, one of the main representatives of positivism was Auguste Comte, author of the phrase:
"Love as a principle and Order as a basis; Progress at last.”
Comte's ideals and motto contributed to the proclamation of the republic in Brazil and served as inspiration for the elaboration of the flag.
Positivism has republican ideals, such as the search for basic social conditions through respect for beings human resources, decent wages, as well as the improvement of the country in material, intellectual and, above all, morals.
Order and Progress is also a book by writer Gilberto Freyre, published in 1957, in which the author discusses the transition from the monarchist to the republican regime in Brazil.
See too:
- Positivism
- Republic
- Meaning of Brazil Flag Day