Pedagogy of the Oppressed
Paulo Freiré
Abstract
Critical and liberating dialogue, which presupposes action, must be carried on with the oppressed at whatever the stage of their struggle for liberation. The content of that dialogue can and should vary in accordance with historical conditions and the level at which the oppressed perceive reality. The insistence that the oppressed engage in reflection on their concrete situation is not a call to armchair revolution. Libertarian action must recognize this dependence as a weak point and must attempt through reflection and action to transform it into independence. A revolutionary leadership must accordingly practice co-intentional education. Teachers and students (leadership and people) co-intent on reality are both Subjects, not only in the task of unveiling that reality, and thereby coming to know it critically, but in the task of re-creating that knowledge.