Paulo Friere, Politics And Philosophy

Politics and Philosophy : Static or Dynamic ?

This essay is based on Paulo Friere’s text “The Banking Concept of Education”. It shows the reader the logical connection between politics andphilosophy in their both sides, the critical one and the emancipatory one. Criticism is related to oppressive type of politics and the way it actually is, while emancipatory is logically related with freeones and the way things should be.
An oppressive government needs a static philosophy to achieve its goals. This type of philosophy consist on teaching people that things are unchangeable, and thatit is necessary to let them the way they are established. This way people believe that there is nothing to do, nothing they can help to change, but neither nothing they can protest about. This is whatis called static philosophy, the most valuable tool oppressors use to control society; it is the domination of the population’s thoughts what guarantees the power of the oppressors upon the oppressed.The adaptation of the oppressed to their reality, help the oppressors to conquer their plans easier.

In contrast, emancipated politics are related to a dynamic philosophy. This type of philosophyis the one that creates a different view of reality, a reality in which different sectors work hand to hand for the common good. The dynamic philosophy functions by encouraging people to beanalytical, to believe in their capacities and to stop thinking they are manageable or adaptable beings. Emancipated politics promote to treat every person equally, and to teach people to work for their ownnecessities instead of the oppressor’s ones.
Friere established that the problem with the criticism is that it stimulates the credulity of the oppressed, letting them to see just a partial side ofreality. The solution to this problem is to transform the method, letting the emancipatory movement grow. This way dominated majority will stop being controlled, new ideas will flow and the change is...