Marcuse, Bloch and Freire: Reinvigorating a Pedagogy of Hope

Abstract

Critique of the current order of things is a necessary starting point for any project for radical change. Without an analysis of what is wrong, it is hard to convince anyone that change is necessary. And yet critique alone rarely inspires people to act. We need something to fight for as well as against. The article looks at the centrality of hope as a necessary complement to critique. Combining insights from Freire, Bloch and Marcuse, it argues that critical pedagogy needs to seriously engage methods to create an environment amenable to resistance and struggle for change, founded on a belief that a better world is possible. Marcuse, in particular, offers three key insights that can be instrumental in moving beyond the overly negative discourse and cynicism that prevail today – including a trenchant analysis of capitalism and desire, a program for aesthetic education and a model for utopian dreaming and embodied hope. It is argued that critical pedagogy must move beyond consciousness raising and identity formation alone to foster the belief that change is possible. We need to move toward a discourse and action that can capitalize on repressed desires and provide a provisional alternative vision that can galvanize people to act toward its realization.