| The terminology of Paulo Freire emerges from a particular tradition in philosophy: Philosophical Anthropology. It is the premise of this thesis that if one is to understand fully Freire's significance as a philosopher, it is necessary or at least advisable to examine the discipline of Philosophical Anthropology. This area of philosophy helps elucidate terms such as Subject, Object, Ontological Vocation, Dialogue--key concepts in Freire's writing.;The goal of this thesis is to investigate Paulo Freire's Philosophical Anthropology. In doing so, we identified four major sections to be discussed: Dialogue, Praxis, Critical Consciousness, and History. These concepts unify Freire's philosophical writing. Human action, praxis, is not possible without dialogue. The elevation of one's consciousness to a level of critical intervention is dependent upon co-participation in dialogue and the human activity which follows from it. Finally, this continuing praxis allows men to simultaneously create history and become "historical-social beings." Each major concept is treated in its relation to the others and as it participates in the literature of Philosophical Anthropology.;The thesis begins with a brief summary of Hegel's system in order to establish a foundation for Feurerbach, Kierkegaard and Buber. Their response to Hegel established the direction for a de-idealized conception of humanity, and "anthropologized" philosophy by transforming the question of Being into a question of concrete human existence. The writing of Paulo Freire is shown to be a development and politicization of the anthropological direction begun by Feuerbach and Kierkegaard.;By investigating the sources of Philosophical Anthropology and by analyzing Freire's works, terminology and methodology, a clear expression of his own Philosophical Anthropology is revealed.;The pedagogy of Paulo Freire is predicated upon a particular vision of man in the world. This pedagogy formulates a "scientific-humanistic" conception which finds its expression in a dialogical praxis "in which the teachers and learners together, in the act of analyzing a dehumanizing reality, denounce it while announcing its transformation in the name of the liberation of man.". |
