Perspective

Paulo Freire's book is a book for educators but also for activists. Freire is interested in helping people who are at the bottom rung of society, who are stuck in poverty. The perspective is that of someone who is not one of the oppressed but who truly wants to help oppressed people free themselves. Freire values education and freedom of thought, which he feels lead to freedom of action. For Freire, there can be no liberation without education because people must be able to think critically in order to take meaningful action, which is in itself an act of freedom.

Although Freire does not use the term, the synthesis of thought and action can be called free will. Freire describes the ability to think from a perspective outside one's situation, make conclusions about that situation, and act purposefully to change that situation as the thing that separates human...