[Review of the book Paulo Freire’s Philosophy of education in contemporary context : from Italy to the world, by J. Irwin & L. Todaro]

Abstract

Books on Paulo Freire continue to be published in abundance. it is often very difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. Following on a great book on the subject by walter kohan, this book has a distinctive feel throughout its various chapters. More than other books on Freire, this book has the great merit of shedding light on the struggles, movements and talismanic figures that have contributed to the development of the italian cultural, including pedagogical, firmament. it is, therefore, more a book on italian contributions to political pedagogy than simply another book on Freire. with Freire continuing to generate much interest, he becomes the perfect ‘person to think with’ for ideas in education, viewed in its broader contexts, to emerge from italy. The spotlight on this country, which has made great contributions to pedagogical thinking, is long overdue and, therefore, most welcome. The retinue of great thinkers on education includes Thomas Aquinas and Gian Batista vico, Giovanni Bosco, Giovanni Gentile, Benedetto Croce, Antonio Gramsci, Ada Gobetti (learning for parent involvement in education and for resistance against Nazi-fascism), Maria Montessori, Aldo Capitini, Don Zeno Saltini, Don Lorenzo Milani, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Loris Malaguzzi, Gianni Rodari, Mario Lodi, Alberto Manzi, Danilo Dolci, Adriana Cavarero, Luiza Muraro, the femminismo delle differenze – the list is great and by no means exhaustive.