Paolo Freire

Philosophy’s Influence on Education from the Developing

World’s PerspectiveSydney Philosophy Circle 2010

Outline

• Brief Personal Biography • Survey of Major Works• Historical Philosophical

Background/Influence• Philosophy Applied to Pedagogy• Prospective Applications

Life & Times

• Life– Born middle class– Experienced poverty– Entered Uni & married– Joined government– PhD & political exile– US & Switzerland; Africa &

Asia– Return to Brazil– Widowed, Remarried &

Died while working on Ecopedagogy

• Times– Roaring Twenties– Great Depression– World War II– Cold War– Vatican II– Newly Industrializing

Economies & Newly Democratizing/ Re-democratized Countries

– Advent of the Internet/ Sustainable Development

Major Works

Pedagogy of the Oppressed.Pedagogy of Hope.A Pedagogy for Liberation.: Dialogues on Transforming Education. With Ira Shor.We Make the Road by Walking: Conversations on Education & Social Change with Myles

Horton.Paolo Freire: A Critical Encounter. Edited by Peter McLaren & P. Leonard.Cultural Actions for Freedom.Education for Critical Consciousness.Education, the Practice of Freedom.The Politics of Education: Culture; Power; and Liberation.A Day with Paolo Freire.Literacy: Reading the Word & the World. With Danaldo C. MacedoLearning to Question: A Pedagogy of Liberation. With Antonio Faundez.Pedagogy of the City.Letters to Cristine: Reflections on my Life & More. With Donaldo C. MacedoPedagogy of the Heart. With Maria Araujo FreireTeachers as Cultural Workers: Letters to Those Who Dare to TeachThe Paolo Freire Reader: with Ana Maria Araujo Freire & Donaldo C. MacedoPedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy & Civic Courage.

Philosophical Roots

• Critical Theory– Kant: Notion of Autonomy– Hegel & Marx: Praxis– Disillusionment over the failure of the Enlightenment– Social inquiry taken with the intent of exposing

social injustice required stronger normative foundations than a theory of reason could provide

• Phenomenology– Husserl: epoché & essence– Heidegger: Being in the Word; Not One, Not Two

Philosophical Roots

• Realism (late 1800s)– Social life = f(economics)– Skepticism towards the supernatural – Self-conscious Representation in History

• Modernism (early 1900s)– Radical rejection of inherited systems– Propose solutions/ alternatives

• Postmodernism (post WWII)– Dismantling universal truths– Contextualization

Philosophy of Man & Society

• Original State: Humans as Subjects• Society of Subjects: Mutual Respect• Discourse: Engagement through Dialogue• Social Aspirations: To Become More

– Struggle Between Freedom & Control By Those Who Believe They Know Better Over Those Who Surrender Their Power as Co-Subjects

– Hidden Agenda/Vested Interests: Opacity– Information: Controlling vs. Enabling

Freire’s Core Thinking: Situation

• Thought Banking: Objectification of Humans– Individual Control: Denial of Subjectivity

• Obedience to Authority/Fear & Consequence• Chance & Destiny

– Mass Programming: Beings for Another/Patronage• Good Citizenship/Employment & Industrial Peace• Prosperity & Security

– Behavioural Modelling: Be Like the Oppressor• Shaping Perception, Opinion & Lifestyle• Education as Thought Banking• Teacher Knows All, Student Knows Nothng

Freire’s Core Thought: Solutions

• Critical Thinking: Anti-Objectification– Reflection/Question– Restoration of Dialogue

• Conscientization: Return to Man as a Subject– Reexamination of Structures, Origins & History– Analysing Structures & Systems

• Participation & Authorship in History– Generating of Alternatives for Self & Community– Building Anew Relationships

Paolo Freire’s Legacy

• Not So Much Philosophy– Religio-mystical insinuations– Biases: Culture of the Colonized/Oppressed

• One-sided fault– Claims of Inconsistencies: Self-criticism of Bias

• e.g., the cultural excuse; revolutionary solidarity; bourgeois condescension

• Black Consciousness Movement: Steve Biko• Cooperative Enterprise: Mondragon Movement• Critical Education: North America Left Wing• Popular Education: Formerly Colonized/Newly Democratizing

Countries• Theology of Liberation: Christianity

North-South Dialogues

Developed Worlds• Political Pluralism• Participatory

Democracy• Developmental

Institutional Reforms & Innovations

Developing World• Self-Application• Legal Codification• Grassroots Spurred

Development

Prospective Applications

• Internet/Worldwide Web• Gender Studies• Counteracting Perception Management• Good Governance: Fairness, Transparency &

Accountability• Self-Regulation: Involving All Stakeholders,

Primarily the Consumer• International Commerce: Equal Access &

Opportunity; Reciprocity