Social justice and the philosophical foundations of critical peace education: Exploring Nussbaum, Sen, and Freire

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to philosophically explore a ‘realization-focused’ capabilities theory of social justice, as articulated by AmartyaSen and Martha Nussbaum, as foundational to a theory of critical peace education. Paulo Freire’s philosophy of critical pedagogy has had and continues to have a profound influence on the theory and practice of peace education. It is argued that the basic premises of Freire’s philosophy point to a realization-focused theory of justice and can serve as a robust organizing foundation for critical peace education theory and practice. This conclusion constitutes a hypothesis that calls for further research.