CONCEPT OF INTELLIGENCE: AN ANALYSIS OF ITS HISTORICAL EVOLUTION TOWARD INSTITUTIONALIZATION IN BRAZILIAN PUBLIC SECURITY

Abstract

This article analyzes the historical, conceptual, and normative evolution of Intelligence Activity up to its institutionalization within Brazilian Public Security, with emphasis on the conceptual distortions that still compromise its understanding and practical application. The analysis is grounded on the premise that Intelligence constitutes a specialized State activity, oriented toward the production of qualified knowledge to support the decision-making process, and is ontologically distinct from other similar activities. The research adopts a qualitative approach, exploratory and descriptive in nature, based on bibliographic review and documentary analysis of doctrinal and normative frameworks. The study revisits the ontology of the concept of Intelligence, from its etymological and philosophical origins to its modern consolidation as a knowledge-producing activity, highlighting its understanding as product, process, and organization. The results indicate that, although Public Security Intelligence is broadly supported by legal and doctrinal norms, persistent misconceptions remain that reduce it to investigative, operational, or merely administrative practices. Such distortions stem primarily from the absence of an institutional Intelligence culture, the lack of continuous professional training, and the inexistence of permanent specialized cadres. It is concluded that the effectiveness of Intelligence in Public Security depends on its institutionalization both in fact and in law, with conceptual clarity, functional segregation, specialized training, and strict adherence to the methodologies inherent to the activity. Only under these conditions can Intelligence fulfill its essential purpose of reducing uncertainty, anticipating threats, and enhancing decision-making within the framework of the Democratic Rule of Law.