Paulo Freire (1921-1997) worked among the poor and uneducated peasants in Brazil. He believed that the purpose of education is to make man more fully human through his conscious action to transform the world.
"There is no such thing as a neutral education process. Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate the integration of generations [of people] into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity to it, or it becomes the 'practice of freedom', the means by which men and women deal critically with reality and discover how to participate in the transformation of their world." Richard Shaull, drawing on Paulo Freire
Do you agree that we make parts of our society (including ourselves) less than fully human when we do not educate them to think and deal critically with reality; when we do not allow them to actively participate in the transformation of the culture in which they live?
What does it mean to hunger and thirst for righteousness in yourself, in the world? How will this lead to transformation in yourself, in the world?
Education is important but critical thinking can be considered dangerous by certain autocratic regimes. Educated people are more inclined to question the reality in which they are living. Look at any social movement: usually the leaders are educated people. But to develop this line of thoughts would bring us straight into politics which are banned by Italki unfortunately.
