ABSTRACT
Paulo Freire and Giovanni Gentile are two very complex educators, both on a pedagogical and philosophical level. Both authors collect the inheritance of Hegelian idealist thought, infusing an organic vision of humanity and society in their respective pedagogical elaborations; but, while starting from a common philosophical ground, they arrive at extremely different results. The aim of this short contribution is to show, following transversal lines, the dialectic underlying the ideas of Freire and Gentile, in order to stimulate future comparative research on the meaning and influence of philosophical conceptions in pedagogical practice. To understand which ideas relate Freire, with his radical idea of pedagogical freedom, and Gentile, reformer of the hierarchical school for the Italian fascist regime, some parts of fundamental works by the two authors were considered, in particular Extensão ou comunicação?, for the Brazilian author, and The Reform of Education, among others, for the Italian author. The actual result is the heterogenesis of ends with which certain similar ideas can produce opposite results.
Keywords
Education; Philosophy; Educational relationship; School; Society