Philosophy of Word and World

(Literacy.org, 2009, December 30)

Freire lived and wrote during a time of political chaos, and communal instability. Being in Brazil during a coup de tat and being imprisoned for his pedagogical philosophies certainly has had an influence on his life and career. Take this short video above. Freire describes himself as a curious being with historical, ethical, and political duties.

In a discussion of critical literacy he even denies that he truly is a specialist in literacy! It is fair to say that he is indeed humble with the amount of research and influence he has had in how society thinks about literacy. He affirms that he truly specializes in a critical view of education.

He describes himself as a thinker and an epistemologist (Literacy.org, 2009, December 30). This statement is loaded with how Freire thinks about his own life and work. To be an epistemologist, is to continually questions the limits of knowledge and redefine knowledge in contextual ways. For Freire, this self-proclaimed identity fits the bill. His life and work were dedicated to critically redefining the system of education. By redefining the system, he is redefining knowledge itself, and I would argue that a postmodernist world-view inspired Freire to do so.

Overall, this video speaks volumes about Freire’s life and work and how it progressed throughout the years. Through reflection on his thought process, Freire opens the door to understanding his work in the context of his thinking. He is a curious educator, and he encourages others to be curious as well (Literacy.org, 2009, December 30).

#NewYork