Freire, Wittgenstein and Criticality

How do the ideas and methods of Paulo Freire and Ludwig Wittgenstein inform the concept of criticality? Freire shows us how to teach well. Wittgenstein’s remarks are directed at the teaching and learning process itself. I explore their lived experiences as pedagogues. I highlight similarities and differences in their respective methods. I underline how both thinkers approach philosophical problems from a pedagogical perspective. I argue that Freire advocates a utopian dream of a democratic world free of oppression, domination and inequalities, and that his vision is underpinned by a critical pedagogy that involves people naming the world and the word. I also draw on the scholarly literature to restate other important features of his thinking. Regarding Wittgenstein, I argue that his work should be given a pedagogic reading, that such an interpretation is reconcilable with his notion of philosophy as therapy, and that his philosophy as pedagogy is consistent with our obtaining an Übersicht of language.