Social Work, Pluralism, and the Historical-Dialectical Materialist Method: A Possible Dialogue?

Abstract

The method of historical-dialectical materialism, adopted by the Brazilian Social Service in its period of professional renewal, has been accused of epistemological enclausuring. In this article, we seek to salvage the understanding that this method offers solid foundations for a democratic and pluralistic stance. Revisit it from this perspective is a necessity in the current historical scenario, marked by political polarizations and the challenge of establishing truly fruitful dialogues between different perspectives without giving up the basic assumptions of each. The theoretical-methodological perspective adopted here is part of the historical-dialectical materialism itself, using a bibliographic review and theoretical analysis of works by classical and contemporary authors of Marxian thought and Marxist tradition. The text is organized into three main sections: in the first, we discussed the fundamentals of the method and its appropriation by the Brazilian Social Service. Next, we explore dialectics as the logic of diversity, questioning reductionist readings. Finally, we reflect on the relationship between social service, pluralism and method. With this, we hope to contribute both to the strengthening of this method, by affirming its importance in the present, and for the advancement of professional pluralism, by demonstrating that this analytical perspective is not opposed to democratic debate, but requires it.