From Reductionism to Critical Knowledge

Thus, in the contemporary era we are still staggering from the hangover of the history of Western epistemology. The aforementioned epistemological theory of causal determination set in motion a mental image of the world as a well-oiled machine from which we have never recovered. Knowledge and Critical Pedagogy: An Introduction is a call to get beyond this epistemological prison and to move to more rigorous, more insightful modes of knowledge work. Indeed, whether we are teachers, journalists, social activists, or whatever, we need the wisdom to resist the knowledges produced by FIDUROD and technologies of dominant power it creates and certifies. Obviously, this complex act of resistance will not be easy, for we have been inducted into it in insidious ways that permeate different dimensions of our consciousness. Yet, when we gain the ability to step back and observe the impact of such ways of seeing on humans around the world, the physical environment, and the purpose of education, we understand the importance of our task.