The role of education in societal development

This book examines the educational theories of John Dewey, a US-American philosopher and educator of the early 20th century, and Paulo Freire, a Brazilian pedagogue of the late 20th century and founder of the field of critical pedagogy. It attempts to draw connections between their societal and educational concepts. The focus of attention lies on the contribution of education to the development of society, as it is analyzed in their works Democracy and Education, and Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The aim is to present in a comparative way a) their per- ception of society in its historical and cultural context, b) their idea of society to which they aspire, and c) their conception of education as a response to societal conditions and as an instrument for achieving their societal idea. The hermeneutical examination of their educational theories proves that although they have lived under different historical and cultural contexts, they both highlighted the social dimension of education and its contribution to the formation of a democratic and humane society.