Pedagogy of Freedom: Ethics, Democracy, and Civic Courage

by Paulo Freire

Overview

In Pedagogy of Freedom Paulo Freire travels ever more deeply into the territory where learning and activism are the essence of human life. This profound book shows why an engaged way of learning and teaching is central to the creation of the individual, culture, and history.

Freire finds in today's emerging global society a new context in which education cannot be indifferent to the reproduction of dominant ideologies and the interrogation of them. He argues against "progressive" liberalism and its passive acceptance of a world where unemployment and hunger must inevitably co-exist with opulence. In so doing, he shows why an acceptance of fatalism leads to loss of personal and societal freedom-and how those individuals who think without optimism have lost their place in history.

This book displays the striking creativity and profound insight that characterized Freire's work to the very end of his life-an uplifting and provocative exploration not only for educators, but for all who learn and live.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798216369165
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	10/16/2025
Series:	Critical Perspectives Series: A Book Series Dedicated to Paulo Freire
Pages:	184
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.11(d)

About the Author

The late Paulo Freire of Brazil-teacher, philosopher, and activist-is widely regarded in the United States and elsewhere as one of the most influential educators of the twentieth century.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Foreword
Chapter 2 Introduction
Chapter 3 Introductory Reflections
Part 4 Part I. There is No Teaching Without Learning
Chapter 5 Methodological Rigor
Chapter 6 Research
Chapter 7 Respect for What Students Know
Chapter 8 A Capacity to be Critical
Chapter 9 Ethics and Aesthetics
Chapter 10 Words Incarnated in Example
Chapter 11 Risk, Acceptance of What is New, and Rejection of Discrimination
Chapter 12 Critical Reflection on Practice
Chapter 13 Cultural Identity
Part 14 Part II. Teaching is Not Transferring Knowledge
Chapter 15 Awareness of Our Unfinishedness
Chapter 16 Recognition of One's Conditioning
Chapter 17 Respect for the Autonomy of the Student
Chapter 18 Common Sense
Chapter 19 Humility, Tolerance, and Struggle for the Rights of Educators
Chapter 20 Capacity to Apprehend Reality
Chapter 21 Joy and Hope
Chapter 22 Conviction that Change is Possible
Chapter 23 Teaching Requires Curiosity
Part 24 Part III. Teaching is a Human Act
Chapter 25 Self-Confidence, Professional Competence and Generosity
Chapter 26 Commitment
Chapter 27 Education as a Form of Intervention in the World
Chapter 28 Freedom and Authority
Chapter 29 Decision- Making that is Aware and Conscious
Chapter 30 Knowing How to Listen
Chapter 31 Recognition that Education is Ideological
Chapter 32 Openness to Dialogue
Chapter 33 Caring for Students

What People are Saying About This

Stanley Aronowitz

"Pedagogy of Freedom, Paulo Freire's last will and testament, is his best book since Pedagogy of the Oppressed."

Editorial Reviews

Pedagogy of Freedom, Paulo Freire's last will and testament, is his best book since Pedagogy of the Oppressed.” —Stanley Aronowitz, CUNY Graduate Center, author of From the Ashes of the Old: American Labor and America's Future

“Pedagogy of Freedom is a stirring culmination of Paulo Freire's life work. It is in no way a conclusion or a summation: it is a text that urges its readers to become, to reach towards still untapped possibility. The themes of Freire's earlier writing are extended here into thoughtful explorations of ethics and democracy and the ways in which they may release a sense of agency in the long exploited and cruelly silenced. Moreover, he has new things to say about ideology and freedom in a world marked by a threatening 'globalization' and an unprecedented manipulation by media. As before, he speaks of 'passion,' 'love,' and 'caring;' and, each time he does so, it is as if his hand grasps each one of our shoulders, urging us on and on.” —Maxine Greene, Columbia University

“With Pedagogy of Freedom, Paulo Freire enriches the dialogical perspectives with a call for universal ethics that establishes a better foundation for education in the next century.” —Ramón Flecha, University of Barcelona, Spain

“Braiding bold vision with precision, Freire, in his brilliance, allows us to imagine a tomorrow of democracy and freedom. Insisting on the 'incompleteness' of us all and on a 'dreamer's right to dream,' Pedagogy of Freedom reminds us that our work is never done; that change is always possible, always essential, always unfinished.” —Michelle Fine, The Graduate Center, CUNY, and University of South Africa

“At the threshold of the twenty-first century, we face the need to learn a new and more communicative way of constructing educational theory. With Pedagogy of Freedom, Freire contributes a unique guide to such a mission. . . . While social sciences are witnessing the revival of the idea of deliberative democracy (Elster, 1988), as well as the possibility of transforming social positions through dialogue (Giddens, 1994), we now have a book that discusses how to develop such dialogic democracy in education. In Pedagogy of Freedom, Freire defends a universal human ethic that extends not only to schools but also to teachers' training.” —Harvard Educational Review

“This book is a repository of Freire's wisdom, the wisdom that informs his philosophy of education and his educational approach. . . . I would recommend this one as very important.” —Studies In The Education Of Adults

“Pedagogy of Freedom is almost an elegy. In looping around themes that have run through his work, Freire's book is a reminder of his fundamentally optimistic vision of the radical possibilities for education.” —College English

“Paulo Freire is one of the ideological giants. . . . In this book, Freire remains passionately idealistic and inspirational, without denying the complexity of the work or the difficulty of creating real change. It is one of the rare tomes to which one can return again and again...” —What On Earth

“This is, together with Profesora Sim, Tia Nao, one of the best two books in Freire's oeuvre since Pedagogy of the Oppressed. It makes the issues in the 1970 classic come alive and is a clarion call for a critically engaged pedagogy of autonomy triggered by epistemological curiosity.” —Peter Mayo, University of Malta

“Pedagogy of Freedom is by far one of Paulo Freire's most outstanding contributions to the field of education. His singularly unique capacity to engage the complexity of ethical, political, and economic questions in light of democratic pedagogical concerns provides teachers and educational leaders with much needed insight, as they struggle to navigate the chaos and confusion of contemporary schooling in these difficult and changing times.” —Antonia Darder, Leavey Endowed Chair of Ethics and Moral Leadership, Loyola Marymount University

From the Publisher

Pedagogy of Freedom, Paulo Freire's last will and testament, is his best book since Pedagogy of the Oppressed.

Stanley Aronowitz

With Pedagogy of Freedom, Paulo Freire enriches the dialogical perspectives with a call for universal ethics that establishes a better foundation for education in the next century.

Ramón Flecha

Braiding bold vision with precision, Freire, in his brilliance, allows us to imagine a tomorrow of democracy and freedom. Insisting on the 'incompleteness' of us all and on a 'dreamer's right to dream,' Pedagogy of Freedom reminds us that our work is never done; that change is always possible, always essential, always unfinished.

Michelle Fine

Paulo Freire is one of the ideological giants.. .. In this book, Freire remains passionately idealistic and inspirational, without denying the complexity of the work or the difficulty of creating real change. It is one of the rare tomes to which one can return again and again...

What On Earth

Pedagogy of Freedom is almost an elegy. In looping around themes that have run through his work, Freire's book is a reminder of his fundamentally optimistic vision of the radical possibilities for education.

College English

This is, together with Profesora Sim, Tia Nao, one of the best two books in Freire's oeuvre since Pedagogy of the Oppressed. It makes the issues in the 1970 classic come alive and is a clarion call for a critically engaged pedagogy of autonomy triggered by epistemological curiosity.

Peter Mayo

Pedagogy of Freedom is a stirring culmination of Paulo Freire's life work. It is in no way a conclusion or a summation: it is a text that urges its readers to become, to reach towards still untapped possibility. The themes of Freire's earlier writing are extended here into thoughtful explorations of ethics and democracy and the ways in which they may release a sense of agency in the long exploited and cruelly silenced. Moreover, he has new things to say about ideology and freedom in a world marked by a threatening 'globalization' and an unprecedented manipulation by media. As before, he speaks of ‘passion,' ‘love,' and ‘caring;' and, each time he does so, it is as if his hand grasps each one of our shoulders, urging us on and on.

Maxine Greene

Pedagogy of Freedom is by far one of Paulo Freire's most outstanding contributions to the field of education. His singularly unique capacity to engage the complexity of ethical, political, and economic questions in light of democratic pedagogical concerns provides teachers and educational leaders with much needed insight, as they struggle to navigate the chaos and confusion of contemporary schooling in these difficult and changing times.

Antonia Darder

This book is a repository of Freire's wisdom, the wisdom that informs his philosophy of education and his educational approach.. .. I would recommend this one as very important.

Studies In The Education Of Adults

At the threshold of the twenty-first century, we face the need to learn a new and more communicative way of constructing educational theory. With Pedagogy of Freedom, Freire contributes a unique guide to such a mission.. .. While social sciences are witnessing the revival of the idea of deliberative democracy (Elster, 1988), as well as the possibility of transforming social positions through dialogue (Giddens, 1994), we now have a book that discusses how to develop such dialogic democracy in education. In Pedagogy of Freedom, Freire defends a universal human ethic that extends not only to schools but also to teachers' training.

Harvard Educational Review