CRITICAL EDUCATION AS A PRACTICE OF LIBERATION: A PHILOSOPHICAL ANALYSIS OF PAULO FREIRE'S THOUGHT

Abstract

Critical education has become one of the most influential educational paradigms in responding to social inequality, domination, and dehumanization within educational practices. Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator and philosopher, developed a liberating educational philosophy that emphasizes dialogue, critical consciousness, and transformative action. This study aims to analyze Freire’s philosophical thoughts on critical education as a practice of liberation and examine their relevance to contemporary educational challenges. This research employs a qualitative approach using library research and philosophical analysis methods. Data were collected from Freire’s primary works and relevant scholarly literature. The findings indicate that Freire criticized the banking model of education because it positions learners as passive recipients of knowledge. Instead, he proposed a problem-posing educational model that encourages learners to become active subjects in constructing knowledge and transforming social realities. Critical education, according to Freire, serves as a means of humanization through dialogue, reflection, and praxis. The study concludes that Freire’s educational philosophy remains highly relevant in promoting democratic, participatory, and emancipatory learning environments in the twenty-first century.