Marxist-inflected praxis in Paulo Freire's political pedagogy

Abstract

This paper discusses and explains Freire's Marxist-inflected concept of praxis as developed throughout his oeuvre. A key feature, deriving from Marx and others, notably Gramsci, is the positing of a dialectical relationship between consciousness and the world. This is at the heart of his celebrated pedagogical approach. Praxis dates back to the time of the ancient Greek ‘civilisation’ Aristotle in primis. It involves an intellectual effort, a reflection on one’s individual and collective lifeworld. These are the reflecting on action processes that can ultimately collectively lead to political change. Praxis lies at the heart of Marxian and Gramscian political thought and strategy. It is the kernel of Paulo Freire's pedagogical politics; it differs from simply practice. This pedagogical politics involves the codification of this reflection on action into theory. It, in turn, entails evaluating relevant theory against the very reflection on everyday action. The world of action is life itself with all its dimensions, including community living and work, but extends well beyond.