Climate Change Denial at O segredo do Bonzo based on the reading of Imaginary, real and illusion in Clément Rosset

Abstract

ABSTRACT. From the hermeneutics reading of the short story “O segredo do Bonzo”, of Machado de Assis, this article will pursue the reflection about climate change denial nowadays, bringing concepts of imaginary, real and illusion found in the work of Clément Rosset and Gilbert Durand. Based on the readings, a reflection on the possibilities of action of environmental education is introduced facing the movement to deny the emergence of environmental issues. The methodology used is bibliographical, exploratory and guided by a philosophical and hermeneutic perspective. As a result, the research pointed out that climate denialism is built in the same way as the illusion in Machado's tale, by replacing a concrete and unpleasant fact with an opinion that matches the desire. An environmental education that wants to transform the environment will have to face the challenge of dispelling illusions and proposing an imaginary that helps to effectively understand reality.