Pedagogy of the Oppressed Paperback – Abridged, January 1, 1996

Few books deliver a message so powerful that it forever becomes embedded in the reader’s mind. Even fewer books transform the way you perceive, interact with, or respond to, reality. This book masterfully accomplishes both tasks and inspires you to spread the word to others.In short, the purpose of this book is summarized on the last page: “This work deals with a very obvious truth: just as the oppressor, in order to oppress, needs a theory of oppressive action, so the oppressed, in order to become free, also need a theory of action.”Freire goes on to elaborate by arguing that the disposition of the oppressed is a direct function of a system, designed and engineered on many different levels, to keep the oppressed in their current predicament as a means to fuel a perverse scheme that is predicated on a majority remaining ignorant of its methodology. The prescription to change this system must come from the oppressed and not the oppressors, as the author posits, through a dialogical process of education. This is based upon mutual investigation, a shared, exploratory means of discovery, and the abandonment of a system of education based on the “banking principal.” Freire strives for everyone to gain a new understanding of the world and reality so that all can take a step back to understand the dynamics at play; only then can one develop a new awareness that will equip them to break the cycle and achieve true liberation.The text proceeds as follows: It starts by defining the oppressor-oppressed relationship, characterized by dehumanizers who employ several mechanisms to subjugate the dehumanized. Next, the blueprint for a liberation plan is described with a particular emphasis on the educational system. The last chapter starts by providing a summary of what has been stated thus far, describes specific tactics used to oppress, and then details the liberation praxis.The strength of this book lies in its ability to dare the reader to challenge his or her own assumptions and perceptions about the world and view reality through a different lens. Although Freire describes liberation praxis primarily through education, the groundwork is already established for more far-reaching methodologies.Keep in mind that Freire does not seem to have an agenda based on one group in particular, but instead has a universal outlook for humanity in general. He repeatedly emphasizes a breaking free not so that one may overtake the other, but rather to permanently abolish the forces that established a class of people in bondage in the first place.For anyone who believes that as human beings we can do better, and that learning and knowledge should be a transformative process, this book should be in your library.

I picked up Paolo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed after being assigned to read an excerpt in my English class and was so moved by it, I felt compelled to get my own copy to read the rest.After getting this, I instantly felt myself resonating with Freire's thoughts and beliefs as an educator and his ideologies surrounding reforming the inherently problematic methods employed within our school systems. I am currently an English major and have been entertaining the thought of becoming a teacher myself, and I am so incredibly happy I read this book first, because his reflections and criticisms of the classroom dynamic; specifically the student versus teacher relationship analogy, was so powerfully thought-provoking and inspiring to me, that I full-heartedly believe if I do become a teacher, I would want to embody as much of Freire's proposed methods of teaching and stray away from perpetuating the "depositor vs depository" standards in place today.I was surprised to find myself reading this book, in it's entirety, in one sitting and can honestly say there isn't a single thing about this book I did not end up absolutely loving. It is a beloved book I will keep in my library forever and I highly recommend this book to any adult readers interested, as it appeals to such a wide audience that goes beyond scholars, educators and philosophers.

I love this book. It is a bit dense and hard to read but the style of teaching to an oppressed population is not an easy concept. It is a great motivator to teachers and although was written a while ago in Brazil, this book is so relevant and explanatory of our education culture in the states today.

After seeing an interview of my favorite rapper, Lupe Fiasco, mention this book I purchased it to see what he meant. While it isn't as amazing as I thought it'd be, Mr. Freire has some solid points throughout the book and it's a nice read for someone who's interested in philosophical ideas.

I read this book twenty-five years ago. Reading it again was a revelation. Its clarity and singular rigor in analyzing the processes by which real consciousness about true nature of civil and political structures in the world come into being and can be changed, and overturned, is penetrating and very moving.

Uncomfortable wisdom for the ages. Friere confronts us with the irreducible truth that we have choice to claim our humanity or destroy it. The language may need a bit of updating, but he unfailingly points us in the right direction. This takes time to absorb but so worth the effort.

Freire has some very enlightening thoughts to share on the nature of the oppressed and the oppressors. He obviously made a big impact through his writings, teachings, and life. Throughout my tenure at EMU's CJP program, I have heard Freire repeatedly referenced both directly and indirectly and deservedly so. However, while I do think the book is well worth reading, I have the same complaint with Freire's book that I have with the writings of many philosophers -- it's not written in such a way as to be readily accessible to the masses. Of course, I here I'm assuming that the translator was true to the original. I think the author would have served his goal better to have more simply communicated his message. Though the book is not long at all, I found it to be way longer than needed to express the author's points. I felt that his points were repeated throughout the book, though perhaps in slightly different forms, which is why, particularly as I got to the last chapter, I found myself skimming more than reading. I didn't care for the repetition. All in all, I do think it is a book worth reading - though I would recommend borrowing a copy rather than purchasing.

I didn’t read it, was a gift.

For school

日本語訳が２バージョン出てますが、どちらも納得いかないと思う方はこの英語版（原書はポルトガル語）を読むことをお勧めします。

Paulo Freire was a Brazilian educator and philosopher whos experiences of the depression in the 1930s, left within him a calling to try and change society. He says that poverty and hunger severely affected his ability to learn at school and that “experience showed me once again the relationship between social class and knowledge”.I might describe this book as having a very high density to volume ratio. I agree with many of the other reviewers here, that this is not a text easily dealt with. I personally found some of it impenetrable. At one point I was wondering if the fact that it had been translated from Portuguese might have resulted in a certain `lost in translation` effect, but I suspect that I am making excuses! I was a little surprised that many of the references which Freire uses come from unpublished texts - they are annotated thus. Some of the words used require their own investigation - assuming you are not an aficionado of course.But, and it is a big BUT, the intention of this work is of the highest order and is quite awe inspiring. I was brought to tears on one occasion when contemplating my own personal feelings regarding my own consciousness of freedom. There is a great potential catharsis underlying this kind of investigation.Freire states his intention in the penultimate paragraph, `just as the oppressor, in order to oppress, needs a theory of oppressive action, so the oppressed, in order to become free, also need a theory of action.`I like to imagine Che Guevara as a champion of this theory.Today we see uprisings as never before all over the world. The Ukraine being the latest such case at the time of my writing. So the issues that this book is raising and the awareness that it attempts to promote are as urgent and relevant as ever!

My wife is happy! Me too! Thanks.

The pedagogy of the oppressed addresses an age-old issue of how oppression is propagated and why it is not at all easy to get rid of by simple common sense methods. Somehow the continuance of oppression from generation to generation appears to be based upon some kind of tacit acceptance - much as "sinfulness" in Christianity becomes the means to propagate an oppressive philosophy based on the fear of severe punishments and the horrors of hell.