Paulo Freire

Kohan has succeeded in the task of presenting very original ideas about the often taken-for-granted Freirean repertoire … [He] concludes his book with examples and practical suggestions for experimenting with his five Freirean philosophical principles that every educator with enough courage to re-invent their pedagogical model could implement. * International Review of Education *This is not another book about Freire, but a thoughtful thinking from and with Paulo’s intensely lived philosophy-as-education-as-life in which uncertainties -not certainty-, and the political-pedagogical imperatives of questioning and humanity reigned. Necessary reading, without a doubt, for these present times. * Catherine E. Walsh, Distinguished Professor in Latin American Cultural Studies, Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Ecuador *Offers a fresh an innovative analysis of key postulates in Freire’s work, such as Love or Equality, central components of the emancipation logic in Freire’s epistemology. Relating them to gnoseological educative principles, this book traces some of Freire’s philosophical propaedeutical roots and underscores his relevance today. A tour de force, philosophically confronting how the shadow of dominant educational neoliberal regimes, such as testing and accountability or the logic of possessive individualism as the main aim of education, have failed to emancipate individuals and societies, while also undermining the foundations of the scientific humanism represented in Freire’s oeuvre. * Carlos Alberto Torres, Distinguished Professor of Education, UNESCO Chair in Global Learning and Global Citizenship Education, and Director of the Paulo Freire Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA *I cannot think of a better book to assist the many educators and scholars seeking inspiration to create pedagogies of freedom. Kohan generously presents paths to move beyond simplistic readings of ineffective, yet, radical-sounding educational models, while beautifully providing a bold and much needed ’re-invention’ of Freire’s ideas. * Gustavo E. Fischman, Professor of Comparative and International Education, Arizona State University, USA *A major contribution to the voluminous literature on Freire, a magisterial chronicle of Kohan’s profound and extensive encounter with life, work and ideas of the ‘great educator from Pernumbuco.’ It is a work that promises to resonate with readers for years to come. * David Kennedy, Professor of Educational Foundations, Montclair State University, USA *Paulo Freire: A Philosophical Biography is a necessary read. The writing approach is accessible, graced with passion, conviction, wisdom, and a humble intellect. – James D. Kirylo * Journal of Critical Education Policy Studies *Original and imaginative in the way the discussion around Freire’s own ideas are organised thematically … [A] compelling and lucid book, a fitting monument to Freire on his birth centenary year. – Peter Mayo * Journal of Critical Education Policy Studies *A sincere work, filled with love and admiration for the greatest educator of our time. – Peter McLaren * Journal of Critical Education Policy Studies *

Walter Omar Kohan is Full Professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Researcher at the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, Brazil. He is Past President of the International Council of Philosophical Inquiry with Children (ICPIC) and has authored or edited more than 50 books. His publications in English include Philosophy and Childhood (2014), The Inventive Schoolmaster (2015) and Childhood, Education and Philosophy (2015).