286 Quotes by Paulo Freire

Discovering himself to be an oppressor may cause considerable anguish, but it does not necessarily lead to solidarity with the oppressed. Rationalizing his guilt through paternalistic treatment of the oppressed, all the while holding them fast in a position of dependence, will not do. Solidarity requires that one enter into the situation of those with whom one is solidary; it is a radical posture.

Indeed, some “revolutionaries” brand as “innocents,” “dreamers,” or even “reactionaries”; those who would challenge this educational practice. But one does not liberate people by alienating them. Authentic liberation – the process of humanization – is not another deposit to be made in men.

I must intervene in teaching the peasants that their hunger is socially constructed and work with them to help identify those responsible for this social construction, which is, in my view, a crime against humanity. Therefore, we need to intervene not only pedagogically but also ethically.

The role of the educator is one of tranquil possession of certitude in regard to the teaching of not only contents but also of ‘correct thinking.’

There is no such thing as a neutral educational process.

The oppressor is solidary with the oppressed only when he stops regarding the oppressed as an abstract category and sees them as persons who have been unjustly dealt with, deprived of their voice, cheated in the sale of their labor – when he stops making pious, sentimental, and individualistic gestures and risks an act of love.

P29 – the oppressed, having internalised the image of the oppressor and adopted his guideline are fearful of freedom. Freedom would require them to eject this image and replace it with autonomy and responsibility.

Experience teaches us not to assume that the obvious is clearly understood.

With the insight that genuine literacy involves “reading the word and the world,” renowned educator Paulo Freire helped open the door to a broader understanding of the term, one that moves from a strict decoding and reproducing of language into issues of economics, health, and sustainable development.