Freire’s Philosophy and Pedagogy: Humanization and Education

Synonyms

Conscientization; Dialogue; Liberation; Neoliberalism; Praxis

Introduction

At the heart of Paulo Freire’s philosophy and pedagogy is the notion of humanization. While Freire’s understanding and application of this central concept underwent some subtle shifts as his thought progressed, much remained consistent from his earliest books to his final writings. This entry explores some of the links between humanization and other key terms in Freirean theory – praxis, dialogue, and conscientization – and comments on Freire’s depiction of neoliberalism as an example of dehumanization.

Humanization, Transformation, and Education

Freire’s most comprehensive treatment of humanization can be found in chapter 1 of his classic early work, Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Freire 1972). There, he develops the idea that humanization is both an ontological and an historical vocation. Humanization is understood as a process of becoming more fully human. This is an ontological vocation in the sense...