Pedagogy of the Oppressed
by Paulo Freire · first published 1970
47% recommend41% neutral13% critical
Why HN recommends it
Frames how power, education, and oppression interact, giving readers shared vocabulary for inequality and schooling. Suggested for those rethinking education, work, or institutions, even if they disagree with Freire.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"First published in Portuguese in 1968, [this book] was translated and published in English in 1970. Paulo Freire's work has helped to empower countless people throughout the world and continues to possess a special urgency as the creation of a permanent underclass among the underprivileged and minorities in urban centers around the world continues. The 50th anniversary edition includes a new introduction by Donaldo Macedo, an afterword by Ira Shor, and interviews with Marina Aparicio Barber�an, Noam Chomsky, Gustavo E. Fischman, Ram�on Flecha, Ronald David Glass, Valerie Kinloch, peter Mayo,
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…buying a few beers out of context, and you feel justified in thinking he'd better just man up, but you have no /idea/ what that situation is like, and probably (hopefully?) never will. I suggest reading Pedagogy of the Oppressed to start to get an inkling of what goes on: http://www.amazon.com/Pedagogy-Oppressed-Paulo-Freire/dp/082...
on “For Many Americans, Nowhere to Go but Down” ↗…through intimidation and violence. The SJW solution? Exclude white male cis from social participation through violence and intimidation. Not a working path. That won't work. Read the first 10 pages of Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire. He talks about the folly of the oppressed that seek liberation by emulating the destructive behaviors of their oppressors. He explains that the oppressor is confined in his role and cannot…
on “The Vacuity of Postmodernist Methodology (2005) [pdf]” ↗…social temple they were called “flocks”). We’re filling in the area of a perimeter originally defined by Bible thumpers and dead men of a classist perspective. Workers build the world. Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed uses a forced importation metaphor, of high minded aristocratic/imperialist expectations on locals. It’s one of my favorites to point folks at.
on “PwC Tells U.S. Employees They Need Never Return to the Office” ↗Educating women is the most effective way of equipping them to protect their own interests. To enlighten yourself, consider reading Federici's "Revolution at Point Zero" and Freire's "Pedagogy of the Oppressed."
on “Most of the world’s grain is not eaten by humans” ↗…individuals like blue-collar technologists and programmers collectively withdraw our human resources, skills, and knowledge, we can severely disrupt or paralyze the systems that enrich the platform holders. 0. Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire
on “Marc Andreessen is wrong about introspection” ↗Replace "AI" with "powerful institutions" and you hit it on the head. Maybe "AI" should stand for "augmented institutions". Maybe you'd be interested in Paulo Freire's book "The Pedagogy of the Oppressed"?
on “Khan Academy integrates GPT-4 as every student’s customized tutor” ↗I'll add for the field of education: Paolo Freire: Pedagogy of the Oppressed (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedagogy_of_the_Oppressed)
on “The Death of a Public Intellectual” ↗- The Paul Street Boys (Ferenc Molnár) - The Posthumous Memoirs of Bras Cubas (Machado de Assis) - Cousin Bazilio (Eça de Queirós) - Pedagogy of the Oppressed (Paulo Freire) All these as a teen. I don't think my moral compass had much plasticity after that.
on “Ask HN: What books influenced your moral compass?” ↗…shifts in an effort to ensure their lives are not completely sedentary. There's an "unschooling movement" that has made some interesting points, but still gets some of the details wrong (in my opinion.) "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" is a great read, even if you disagree with Freire's politics or semiotics. When I say "high school is nothing more than child-care" I should probably say "I fear high school is nothing more than child-care"…
…(not even "revolutionizing" them) without even mentioning Ivan Illich or Paulo Freire. Here some links for the lazy ones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deschooling_Society https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedagogy_of_the_Oppressed
on “Why I'm Skeptical About Efforts to Revolutionize Schooling” ↗I absolutely agree. You might be interested in Paulo Freire who wrote a whole book on something like what you're arguing, "the pedagogy of the oppressed". That said, the crimes of "the cabal of wealth" are still on those responsible.
on “Turns Out, There Is a Cabal of Elite Crazies Trying to Control the World” ↗Godel, Escher, Bach Pedagogy of the Oppressed The Dispossessed Deep Work
on “Ask HN: What books have you read that have changed your life?” ↗Read Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire
on “Why Books Don't Work: Constructivism over Transmissionism” ↗"subversively, even as it maintains the status quo." You left that off for some reason. Have you read that book? Good essays, from there you should read Pedagogy of the Oppressed and Pedagogy of Hope (spoiler, I would tell you to read those regardless of what you quoted. . . ) No, I'm not full of it, you just misread my statement; apparently I didn't make it clear enough and…
on “Faced with change, an all-female indie dev team evolves to a higher form (2013)” ↗You must be middle class. In fact, what you described in precisely what the vast majority of the lower class feels like, and grew up feeling like. You should read the book "Pedagogy of the Oppressed," it's a classic and I bet it'll open your eyes. You might like it.
on “Warren Buffett: The U.S. is moving toward plutocracy” ↗