Al Owski’s Reviews > Pedagogy of the Oppressed > Status Update

“To achieve critical consciousness of the facts that it is necessary to be the "owner of one's own labor," that labor "constitutes part of the human person," and that "a human being can neither be sold nor can he sell himself" is to go a step beyond the deception of palliative solutions. It is to engage in authentic transformation of reality in order, by humanizing that reality, to humanize women and men.”

“every authentic revolution is a cultural revolution”

“The essential elements of witness... include: consistency between words and actions; boldness...to confront existence as a permanent risk; radicalization (not sectarianism) leading... to increasing action; courage to love (which, far from being accommodation to an unjust world, is rather the transformation of that world in behalf of the increasing liberation of humankind); and faith in the people...”

“Organization is not only directly linked to unity, but is a natural development of that unity...pursuit of unity is necessarily also an attempt to organize the people, requiring witness to the fact that the struggle for liberation is a common task. This constant, humble, and courageous witness emerging from cooperation in a shared effort—the liberation of women and men—avoids the danger of anti-dialogical control.”

“The individual is divided between an identical past and present, and a future without hope. He or she is a person who does not perceive himself or herself as becoming; hence cannot have a future to be built in unity with others.”

“Further, domination is itself objectively divisive. It maintains the oppressed I in a position of "adhesion” to a reality which seems all- powerful and overwhelming, and then alienates by presenting mysterious forces to explain this power. ...the mysterious forces which are regarded as responsible for a reality about which nothing can be done.”

“The unity of the elite derives from its antagonism with the people; the unity of the revolutionary leadership group grows out of communion with the (united) people.”

“The revolution loves and creates life; and in order to create life it may be obliged to prevent some men from circumscribing life. In addition to the life-death cycle basic to nature, there is almost an unnatural living death: life which is denied its fullness.”

“In dialogical theory, at no stage can revolutionary action forgo communion with the people. Communion in turn elicits cooperation, which brings leaders and people to the fusion described by Guevara. This fusion can exist only if revolutionary action is really human, empathetic, loving, communicative, and humble, in order to be liberating.”

“It was, then, in dialogue with the peasants that Guevara's revolutionary praxis became definitive. What Guevara did not say, perhaps due to humility, is that it was his own humility and capacity to love that made possible his communion with the people.”