Austerity in Brazilian Public Health: The Relationship between Capital and “Empire-Form”

Abstract

This article aims to explore the relationship between capital and the “empire-form” through the adoption of austerity as the central policy in a contemporary world in crisis, focusing on its implications for Brazil, specifically in public health. The article is structured in two parts. The first part presents the theoretical foundations of the “empire-form” category, which derives from the “value-form” based on Marx’s critique of political economy. The second part discusses the economic and social impacts of austerity policies, with special attention to the Brazilian case in the public health field. Throughout the article, it is argued that austerity is more than an economic policy; it is an instrument of domination that consolidates the imperial logic of contemporary capital, while deepening the contradictions and limits of the system.