Common sense in Antonio Gramsci and Paulo Freire: challenges for a revolutionary education of the popular classes

Abstract

Recognizing Gramsci’s influence on Paulo Freire highlights the relevance of further examining common sense and its potential contributions to transformative political and educational processes. This article examines the role of common sense in Gramsci’s and Freire’s conceptions of education, revealing how people in subaltern positions understand the world and perceive themselves at a given historical moment, as their reality is shaped by the hegemonic interests of their oppressors. In light of this challenge, it poses the following central question: How do Gramsci and Freire identify the role of common sense and explain the changes that education may bring about at the point of transition from common sense (which naturalizes oppression) to a state of freedom (politics/consciousness)? Drawing on a theoretical study of the literature, the article revisits discussions in the works of both authors and some commentators to further develop new understandings of the role of education in relation to the consciousness of subjects in subaltern positions. The theoretical discussion thus identifies elements for revolutionary pedagogical action, considering the superstructural sphere and the concrete material conditions of Brazilian society. Revisiting Gramsci and Freire is part of an educational project politically oriented toward liberating the country’s social groups subordinated by the logic of capitalism.