The Methodology of Paulo Freire in the ontological, Epistemological, and Political Construction of Transformative Dialogical Pedagogy

Abstract

The development of a Pedagogy of Dialogue constitutes an educational paradigm that brings together the ontological, ethical and political dimensions of the dialogical relationship within transformative praxis. The aim of this study was to critically analyse the conceptual evolution of dialogue in Freire’s work, demonstrating its transition from a methodological tool in Pedagogy of the Oppressed to a central ontological category in Pedagogy of Hope. A systematic literature review with a qualitative approach was employed, drawing on Freire’s works and related academic literature. The results reveal that the originality of the Pedagogy of Dialogue lies in the identification of a paradigmatic shift in Freire’s thought: the shift from the macrostructural category of ‘revolution’ to the centrality of ‘substantive democracy’ and ‘reflective silence’. Far from being a repetitive axiom, the study demonstrates that dialogue functions as a mechanism of resistance to neoliberal rationality and contemporary algorithmic bubbles through the ethical tension of unity in diversity. It is concluded that this proposal differs from classical instrumental readings by repositioning dialogue as a living and unfinished political praxis, essential for emancipation and democratic sustainability in the 21st century.