Eduardo Lourenço – an analysis of the Portuguese destiny

As revealed in his work O Labirinto da Saudade – Psicanálise Mítica do Destino Português, Eduardo Lourenço states that no people can live in harmony with themselves without a positive self-image, considering that any people build their own referential myths. Identifying the “collective unconscious” of Portugal, which, according to the author, only has an authentic existence until the events of Alcácer-Quibir, Eduardo Lourenço defends that after King Sebastião, Portugal is “non-history”, until it knocks on the door of a disenchanted Europe. This paper intends to constitute a reflection on the meaningful understanding of the country’s historical path and the representations built around its destiny in the context of nations