Praxis

Synonyms

Critical Distance; Critical Reflection; Praxis

Introduction

Praxis is the central concept which Paulo Freire adopts to capture the dialectical relationship between consciousness and the world, reflected in the pedagogical approach for which he became famous. The concept of praxis dates back to the time of the ancient Greeks and as far back as Aristotle. It connects with Socrates’ dictum, captured by Plato in the Apologia, that the unexamined life is a life not worth living. This entails reflection on the process of living – an intellectual function. This is connected with Gramsci’s later notion that all human beings are intellectuals but not all carry out the function of intellectuals. The reference here is to the thinking and reflecting processes that accompany most activities and that one should help nurture with political change in mind.

Praxis continued to be adopted in subsequent writings in social theory. It entails action-reflection-transformative action. It gained...