To affirm that men and women are persons and as persons should be free, and yet to do nothing tangible to make this affirmation a reality, is a farce. Paulo Freire More Quotes by Paulo Freire More Quotes From Paulo Freire I am an educator who thinks globally. Paulo Freire educator thinking Education as the exercise of domination stimulates the credulity of the students. Paulo Freire domination students exercise True generosity consists precisely in fighting to destroy the causes which nourish false charity. Paulo Freire trembling-hands generosity fighting Welfare programs as instruments of manipulation ultimately serve the end of conquest. They act as an anesthetic, distracting the oppressed from the true causes of their problems and from the concrete solutions of these problems. Paulo Freire welfare-programs manipulation causes It is truly difficult to make a democracy. Democracy, like arty dream, is not made with spiritual words but with reflection and practice. It is not what I say that says I am a democrat, that I am not racist or machista but what I do. What I say must not be contradicted by what I do. It is what I do that bespeaks my faithfulness or not to what I say. Paulo Freire reflection spiritual dream Dehumanization, although a concrete historical fact, is not a given destiny but the result of an unjust order that engenders violence in the oppressors, which in turn dehumanizes the oppressed Paulo Freire destiny historical order To glorify democracy and to silence the people is a farce; to discourse on humanism and to negate people is a lie. Paulo Freire silence lying people The oppressed, instead of striving for liberation, tend themselves to become oppressors. Paulo Freire pedagogy-of-the-oppressed strive liberation Education as the practice of freedom--as opposed to education as the practice of domination--denies that man is abstract, isolated, independent and unattached to the world; it also denies that the world exists as reality apart from people. Authentic reflection considers neither abstract man nor the world without people, but people in their relations with the world. In these relations consciousness and world are simultaneous: consciousness neither precedes the world nor follows it. Paulo Freire independent reflection reality It is in our incompleteness, of which we are aware, that education as a permanent process is grounded. Women and men are capable of being educated only to the extent that they are capable of recognizing themselves as unfinished. Paulo Freire unfinished process men Finally, it is important to make it clear that imagination is not an exercise for those detached from reality, those who live in the air. On the contrary, when we imagine something, we do it necessarily conditioned by a lack in our concrete reality. When children imagine free and happy schools, it is because their real schools deny them freedom and happiness. Paulo Freire real children school Just as it is important in Latin America to discuss ideas that come from North America, I think it is interesting for North Americans to discuss ideas that come from Latin America or Africa and do not insert themselves into capitalist interests. Paulo Freire latin ideas thinking In the banking concept of education, knowledge is a gift bestowed by those who consider themselves knowledgeable upon those whom they consider to know nothing... The teacher presents himself to his students as their necessary opposite; by considering their ignorance absolute, he justifies his own existence. Paulo Freire ignorance opposites teacher No pedagogy which is truly liberating can remain distant from the oppressed by treating them as unfortunates and by presenting for their emulation models from among the oppressors. The oppressed must be their own example in the struggle for their redemption (Freire, 1970, p. 54). Paulo Freire redemption example struggle Freedom is acquired by conquest, not by gift. It must be pursued constantly and responsibly. Freedom is not an ideal located outside of man; nor is it an idea which becomes myth. It is rather the indispensable condition for the quest for human completion. Paulo Freire quests men ideas The revolutionary's role is to liberate, and to be liberated, with the people--not to win them over. Paulo Freire roles winning people One cannot expect positive results from an educational or political action program which fails to respect the particular view of the world held by the people. Such a program constitutes cultural invasion, good intentions notwithstanding. Paulo Freire educational views people Through dialogue, the teacher-of-the-students and the students-of-the-teacher cease to exist and a new term emerges: teacher-student with students-teachers. Paulo Freire term students teacher Being tolerant does not mean acquiescing to the intolerable; it does not mean covering up disrespect; it does not mean coddling the aggressor or disguising aggression. Tolerance is the virtue that teaches us to live with the different. It teaches us to learn from and respect the different. Paulo Freire disrespect tolerance mean Without a sense of identity, there can be no real struggle. Paulo Freire real identity struggle
