Por: EVAN DO CARMO

Preface: Reflections on "The Moralist"

The work "The Moralist" invites us to enter a literary universe full of deep questions and bold reflections on human nature and the society in which we live. The author, throughout the pages of this diary, presents an implicit thesis that challenges the beliefs established by thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who claimed that man is good by nature, with society being responsible for his corruption.

Here, however, we are invited to consider a contrary view: that man is essentially a being governed by his instincts, an expression of chaos in search of his own good, but without ignoring the good of those who are close. This raw and challenging perspective leads us to question the foundations of our morality and reminds us that we are complex creatures, often driven by contradictory impulses.

This book unfolds like a diary, and as such may contain contradictions and variations in mood and perspective. The reader is advised to persist in reading, because in the end he will be able to discern the marginal images and, perhaps, come to the same conclusion as the author: in a world marked by capitalism and its incessant competition, only the strongest survive.

"The Moralist" is a controversial work, replete with scenes of striking realism and heightened moralism. In it, we find a deep exploration of faith as an answer to existential questions, but also an unbridled rebellion against established norms. In its pages, solid philosophical arguments are presented that challenge the need for submission to religious concepts to achieve happiness, arguing that there is no punishment for sin and no reward for virtue. Everything, the author asserts, is a matter of perspective, with the possession of money being presented as the premise for a satisfying life.

It is important to highlight that the characters and situations portrayed in this work are fictional creations of the narrator-author, although they may, at times, seem chronicles of contemporary reality. "The Moralist" challenges the boundaries between literary genres, offering the reader an insightful and lyrical view of today's world.

In the pages that follow, prepare yourself for an intellectual and emotional journey that will question your convictions and stir your imagination. After all, it is in the challenges and reflections that we find the true value of literature, and "The Moralist" is no exception.

"The moralist" contains an implicit thesis: man is not good. I therefore contradict Jean-Jacques Rousseau's thesis that man is good by nature; it is society that corrupts him. And I say more and I repeat that man is only instinct, pure expression of chaos, who seeks first of all his own good, but without ignoring the good of those closest to him.

Because it is a work in the format of a diary, it may be that the reader finds some contradiction, perhaps due to the variation of the presence of mind. Just as it may not be able at first to accurately discern the epigraph under discussion. I say, however, not to give up reading, because only at the end, isolating the marginal images, can you come to a conclusion, perhaps even the same as mine: only the strong survive the capitalist massacre.

It is a controversial book, with striking scenes of realism and an exaggerated moralism, as well as a questioning of Christian morality. The book sometimes presents faith as a solution to existential anxieties, sometimes an insane rebellion. In the pages that go on, there is still a well-founded philosophical argument that man is not obliged to bow before the myth of God in order to be happy, since there is no punishment for sin and no reward for virtue. Everything is a matter of point of view, presenting the possession of money as a premise for a satisfying life.

And I must warn you, dear reader, that the characters and situations of this work are real only in the universe of fiction, created by the narrator-author in the form of a monologue. To some, it may seem like a chronicle; for others, a tale. No matter, whether chronicle or short story, the reader will find contemporary ideas, that is, a quick view of the current world, with a touch of lyricism.