Abstract
This paper examines the studies on peasantry and the agrarian issue carried out by anthropologist Moacir Palmeira to discuss how the mediation between union counseling and academia was equally important for his intellectual formulations on those topics. As distinct instances of analytical and practical observation, these activities led Palmeira to a broader understanding of the agrarian issue and the impasses of democracy in Brazil.
Keywords: intellectual; politics; agrarian issue; reflexivity of ideas