History

Established in 2001, the Graduate Program in Philosophy (PPGF) at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) aims to train highly qualified professionals for research and teaching in the field of Philosophy. Throughout this period, the Program has relied on the tools offered by the philosophical tradition — that is, well-established methods of reading and reflection — such that this training involves, to a great extent, the deepening of philosophical knowledge and the development of research skills in specific subfields of the discipline.

Between 2001 and 2024, the Program was structured around a concentration area in Contemporary Philosophy, subdivided into three lines of research: (1) Epistemology and Philosophy of Language; (2) Philosophy and Social Theory; and (3) Phenomenology and Hermeneutics. In 2010, the PPGF also began offering a Doctoral program, establishing itself as a comprehensive and robust academic program.

Currently, the PPGF holds a CAPES rating of 6, which confirms its status as a consolidated and internationally recognized program. As of 2025, it adopted Philosophy as its official concentration area, allowing for broader training and aligning with the practices of Brazil's most established programs.

The PPGF represents a landmark in philosophical research in the state of Bahia. Between 2001 and 2014, it offered the only academic Master's degree in Philosophy in the state and, to this day, remains home to Bahia's only Philosophy Doctoral program — a source of both pride and responsibility.

Since its inception, the Program has served as a hub for high-quality philosophical research in the region. Over the years, it has welcomed the collaboration of faculty from several universities in Bahia, such as the State University of Santa Cruz (UESC), the State University of Feira de Santana (UEFS), the State University of Bahia (UNEB), the Federal University of Recôncavo da Bahia (UFRB), and the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS).

The PPGF faculty demonstrates broad national and international engagement. It includes professors from both the capital and the countryside of Bahia, as well as from four of Brazil’s five regions. Research partnerships extend across various academic centers in the country and, increasingly, with prestigious institutions in Latin America, North America, and Europe. International exchanges have become increasingly common, with UFBA students conducting part of their research abroad, and with the program receiving students from Africa and Latin America.

Our senior researchers have held prominent positions, such as the presidency of the ANPOF and the Inter-American Society of Philosophy (SIF), as well as leadership roles in scientific societies and evaluation committees of CAPES and CNPq. Younger faculty members have also distinguished themselves by coordinating Working Groups (GTs) within ANPOF.

This process of consolidation had an important milestone in 2004, with the hosting of the ANPOF Meeting in Salvador. Since then, the Program’s connections have expanded beyond national borders. In 2006, the ANPOF meeting — again held in Salvador — became more visibly open to the participation of representatives from Latin American philosophical associations. On that same occasion, a SIF Assembly confirmed that its 2013 Meeting would be held in Salvador — an event that was widely recognized for its success.

In this way, the PPGF has established itself as a center of philosophical reflection and excellence, fully equipped to continue advancing in its academic mission.

Objectives

The objective of the Graduate Program in Philosophy at UFBA is to train highly qualified professionals for research and teaching at the higher education level, but also in basic education, in the field of Philosophy — always open to dialogue with other areas of knowledge. To this end, we rely on instruments offered by the philosophical tradition, that is, on established procedures of reading and reflection, so that both the Master’s and Doctoral programs aim at the in-depth development of philosophical knowledge and the enhancement of research skills in specific areas of Philosophy.

Thus defined, the Graduate Program in Philosophy aims to:

1. Grant the academic degrees of Master and Doctor in Philosophy;
2. Promote a systematic research agenda in Philosophy, developed by both faculty and students, at the Master’s and Doctoral levels;
3. Preserve and strengthen the philosophical character of the research and teaching developed within the Program;
4. Promote exchanges with other UFBA programs, allowing philosophical inquiry to contribute to the consolidation of interdisciplinary groups — especially within the Faculty of Philosophy and Human Sciences, but also with other graduate programs that could not properly deepen topics inherent to them without engaging in dialogue with Philosophy;
5. Promote and intensify exchanges with other graduate programs in Philosophy throughout the country;
6. Stimulate the creation of Working Groups, in accordance with the guidelines of the National Association of Graduate Studies in Philosophy (ANPOF), reinforcing national standards of quality and research evaluation;
7. Secure funding for the acquisition of complete classical and original works still absent from our collection, ensure the regular purchase of works by contemporary authors, and subscribe to journals relevant to the Program's research lines;
8. Create the necessary conditions to continuously strengthen the Doctoral program in Philosophy at UFBA, which has been consolidated after more than a decade of operation and has brought together philosophical research developed at UFBA, at other universities in the state of Bahia, and at the Federal University of Sergipe — thus responding to an effective and growing demand in our region.

The curricular objectives of the PPGF, regarding courses, are:

1. To ensure the regular offering of the Program’s mandatory course (Problems of Contemporary Philosophy), which must demonstrate the aforementioned topical and methodological requirements, with a rigorous and in-depth approach to Philosophy;
2. To ensure the adequate offering of elective courses, primarily linked to the existing research lines, at both the Master’s and Doctoral levels.

Regarding academic activities, the curricular objectives of the Program include:

1. Holding permanent research seminars, leading to the effective writing of the Master’s thesis within approximately 24 months, and the Doctoral dissertation within approximately 48 months;
2. Conducting a qualification exam, which ensures the quality of the final work — understood as a working meeting involving only the candidate, their advisor, and two additional faculty members of the Program, held at the appropriate time, at the advisor’s discretion, as stated in the Program’s regulations;
3. Organizing a public defense of the Master’s thesis or Doctoral dissertation, with the expected quality and within the established timeframe.

It is important to note that these curricular goals concerning courses and academic activities have been rigorously fulfilled. Additional objectives of the Program — also actively pursued or already achieved — include:

1. Developing integrated work with UFBA’s undergraduate Philosophy programs, which has also positively impacted undergraduate courses at other institutions in the region;
2. Promoting high-quality philosophical events as outreach activities, ensuring that the regional interest in philosophical reflection, both within and outside the University, is met with frequent and high-standard offerings.

We understand that these last two objectives — consistently fulfilled and publicly recognized — contribute to the qualification of philosophical demand in our region and strengthen our research environment. Furthermore, they fulfill a fundamental role of strong Philosophy programs, whose formative impact often extends beyond university walls.

Our strategic goal is, ultimately, the full consolidation of a Graduate Program in Philosophy, with both Master’s and Doctoral degrees, now under the concentration area Philosophy, following the successful 24-year period with a concentration in Contemporary Philosophy.