CRITICAL EDUCATION AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE AUTONOMOUS SUBJECT: A PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH

Abstract

The article "Critical Education and the Construction of the Autonomous Subject: A Philosophical Approach" examines education as a means to form critical and autonomous subjects through a philosophical analysis based on the contributions of Freire (1970), Kant (1785), and Giroux (2004). In this context, the study aims to investigate how critical education can promote the intellectual and moral autonomy of individuals, contrasting with models that reduce education to mere technical training. Furthermore, it employs a qualitative bibliographic research approach and conducts a systematic review of these theorists' works to understand their contributions to critical education. Moreover, the results highlight that Freire (1970) proposes a dialogical and participatory pedagogy essential for critical awareness and social transformation, challenging the banking model of education. Kant (1785) provides a philosophical foundation for moral autonomy, emphasizing the importance of acting according to universal rational principles, and Giroux (2004) criticizes the reduction of education to technical training, advocating that it should foster critical reflection and social engagement. Thus, the conclusions emphasize that critical education, according to the approaches of Freire (1970), Kant (1785), and Giroux (2004), should go beyond the mere transmission of knowledge and promote the formation of individuals as agents of social transformation, offering a consistent model to reimagine education as a process of emancipation and critical development, aligned with principles of freedom, dignity, and justice.