Teofilo Braga
From Philosopedia
Braga, Teófilo [President] (24 February 1843 - 28 January 1924)
Joaquim Teófilo Fernandes Braga was a positivist and one of the Portugal’s Republican leaders.
Born in Ponta Delgada, Azores, he graduated in law from the University of Coimbra, taught literature in Portugal, and lectured widely.
In addition to writing poetry, he wrote A History of Portuguese Literature', a ten-volume work in which he applied the positivist principles of Auguste Comte in his general history of the nation’s literature.
An anti-clericalist who was involved in the Revolution of 1810, he was chosen as first president of the new republic of Portugal (1910-1911) and served again briefly in 1915.
His teaching had a positive effect upon Portuguese intellectual life.
Braga published more than one hundred works on literature, science, and philosophy. Although he joined the positivists, as an atheist he took an active part in the International Freethought movement.
From 1910 to 1911 he was President of the Provisional Government of the Portuguese Republic and became the second President of Portugal from 29 May 1915 to 15 October 1915.
