Pedro Augusto Carneiro Lessa

Pedro Augusto Carneiro Lessa (Serro, 25 September 1859 – 25 July 1921) was a Brazilian professor of Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law. He published important books in Portuguese language about Philosophy of Law, and he lectured at the University of São Paulo School of Law.

Pedro Lessa was mulatto. So he was the first black justice of Brazilian Supremo Tribunal Federal. Even after his appointment as a Supreme Court Justice, he suffered racism from his own colleagues, as occurred in a disagreement with fellow Justice Epitácio Pessoa during trials in that court, who even threatened to write an article calling him "pardavasco" (a derogatory term implying someone of mixed race).

Member of Brazilian Academy of Letters since 1910, he was also an intellectual who wrote philosophical essays such as "Is History a Science?", a text published in 1900 that is believed to be the first work written and published in Brazil on the Philosophy of History. (1902) Legal issue: interpretation of article 36 of the bankruptcy decree: functions of the trustees (Questão forense: interpretação do artigo 36 do decreto das quebras: funcções dos syndicos) (1905) Psychological determinism and criminal imputability and responsibility (O determinismo psychico e a imputabilidade e responsabilidade criminaes) (1909) State intervention in matters of public hygiene: report (Intervenção do Estado em materia de hygiene publica: relatorio) (1909) Dissertations and controversies – Legal Studies (Dissertações e polêmicas – Estudos jurídicos) (1896) Procedural law: from the enforcement process to the collection of medical fees (Direito processual: do processo executivo para a cobrança de honorarios medicos) (1900) Is History a Science? (A História é uma Ciência?) (1908) Regarding the State's Competence to Legislate on Local Court Proceedings (Da Competencia do estado para legislar sobre o processo das justiças locaes)