Freire, Aristotle, Marx, And Sartre: A Critique Of The Human Condition

Abstract

This paper examines some of the philosophical foundations that shaped Paulo Freire’s pedagogy. From a componential analysis of the literature, a dominant theme of “critique” emerged. From a philosophic perspective, critique implies the human capacity of rational thinking when humans are given the opportunity to reflect on their sociohistorical conditions. This achievement of telos leads to an escape from Marx’s concept of false consciousness into an existential perspective—that is, each person’s confrontation with choice. Ultimately, the paper argues the potential exists to employ Freireian pedagogy in practice if educators understand the philosophical narratives and assumptions on which his work is based.