Comments on: Paulo Freire’s Libertarian Philosophy of Education and the ‘Politics of Capoeira’. 2/2 http://4capoeirathoughts.com/2010/02/04/paulo-freires-libertarian-philosophy-of-education-and-the-politics-of-capoeira-22/ Social Inclusion / Intercultural Learning / Education / Capoeira Philosophy Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:27:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: 4CapoeiraThoughts http://4capoeirathoughts.com/2010/02/04/paulo-freires-libertarian-philosophy-of-education-and-the-politics-of-capoeira-22/#comment-4695 4CapoeiraThoughts Wed, 06 Oct 2010 08:01:08 +0000 http://4capoeirathoughts.com/?p=309#comment-4695 Montanha, Paulo Freire used to say that whenever one says "I prefer to stay out of politics..." this is already a political statement, only that in this case favouring the actual order of things. This concept is very useful in Capoeira, as most people who have suffered from POLITICKING decides to stay out of POLITICS; hence favouring those with power to maintain their politicking. Do you get my point here?! Politics is important, is how we consciously engage/interact with/in our social environment in order to change whatever we don't agree with. As for putting ourselves in someone else's shoes... This is called 'otherness' or 'alterity' and if more of us can develop such skill, we'll be more fit to avoid great part of our societies problems today, not only the ones in Capoeira. Now, the real question in regards to hierarchy as we have it now in Capoeira is: would you do the same when the time comes because the 'higher-ranked' person was right, or because the oppressed became an oppressor? Sure authority might come with some 'privileges'. But lets take Gandhi, for instance, he lead a whole country to its independence without quitting ordinary tasks (like weaving the fabric and tailoring his own clothes). For him, the greatest lesson one can teach is through his/her own example. Gandhi spend his life fighting for a horizontal community; and this never took away his authority. My point is that authority does not imply an authoritarian behaviour. In short, if ones want to engage with, interact in, in a conscious way with her/his art-form in order to alter something (by means of fighting for a change or simply contributing to new takes), then politics is kicking in from that time on. Politics is inherent to humans, one can be a beginner in Capoeira, but already an engaged person in other walks of life. On the other hand, love for the art and a deep involvement to change injustices in Capoeira may lead one to discover politics... Does that answer your question? Au revoir mon ami! Montanha, Paulo Freire used to say that whenever one says “I prefer to stay out of politics…” this is already a political statement, only that in this case favouring the actual order of things. This concept is very useful in Capoeira, as most people who have suffered from POLITICKING decides to stay out of POLITICS; hence favouring those with power to maintain their politicking.

Do you get my point here?! Politics is important, is how we consciously engage/interact with/in our social environment in order to change whatever we don’t agree with.
As for putting ourselves in someone else’s shoes… This is called ‘otherness’ or ‘alterity’ and if more of us can develop such skill, we’ll be more fit to avoid great part of our societies problems today, not only the ones in Capoeira. Now, the real question in regards to hierarchy as we have it now in Capoeira is: would you do the same when the time comes because the ‘higher-ranked’ person was right, or because the oppressed became an oppressor?

Sure authority might come with some ‘privileges’. But lets take Gandhi, for instance, he lead a whole country to its independence without quitting ordinary tasks (like weaving the fabric and tailoring his own clothes). For him, the greatest lesson one can teach is through his/her own example. Gandhi spend his life fighting for a horizontal community; and this never took away his authority. My point is that authority does not imply an authoritarian behaviour.

In short, if ones want to engage with, interact in, in a conscious way with her/his art-form in order to alter something (by means of fighting for a change or simply contributing to new takes), then politics is kicking in from that time on. Politics is inherent to humans, one can be a beginner in Capoeira, but already an engaged person in other walks of life. On the other hand, love for the art and a deep involvement to change injustices in Capoeira may lead one to discover politics… Does that answer your question?

Au revoir mon ami!

]]> By: Montanha http://4capoeirathoughts.com/2010/02/04/paulo-freires-libertarian-philosophy-of-education-and-the-politics-of-capoeira-22/#comment-4632 Montanha Sun, 03 Oct 2010 11:57:27 +0000 http://4capoeirathoughts.com/?p=309#comment-4632 That is a very interesting reflection. I already had this kind of reflection myself. It is always good to know about "intellectuals" and Capoeiristas who have had precise ideas of how to avoid politicking. I think it is always good to try to put yourself in someone else's shoes. If the person is higher in the hierarchy you might find out why they act like this and agree with them, or just find a reason, but disagree anyway. In the same way, if you put yourself in the shoes of a "lower cord", you might remember yourself disagreeing with the behaviour you are having at the moment. In that case, it is important to have the strength to give up a "previlege" for ideas but you will find the privilege to live your ideas, and not to leave them to the past. Most of the time, the mecanism is very inconscient I think, that is why it makes it so hard to detect. I did not get how should everyone get involved in politics throught education. Can student get involved in the politics of education if the teacher is not?If no, does that mean that you can get involved in the politics of capoeira from when you start teaching capoeira? And that changes would go only downward in the hierarchy and eventually go upward as a side effect? That is a very interesting reflection. I already had this kind of reflection myself. It is always good to know about “intellectuals” and Capoeiristas who have had precise ideas of how to avoid politicking. I think it is always good to try to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. If the person is higher in the hierarchy you might find out why they act like this and agree with them, or just find a reason, but disagree anyway. In the same way, if you put yourself in the shoes of a “lower cord”, you might remember yourself disagreeing with the behaviour you are having at the moment. In that case, it is important to have the strength to give up a “previlege” for ideas but you will find the privilege to live your ideas, and not to leave them to the past.
Most of the time, the mecanism is very inconscient I think, that is why it makes it so hard to detect. I did not get how should everyone get involved in politics throught education. Can student get involved in the politics of education if the teacher is not?If no, does that mean that you can get involved in the politics of capoeira from when you start teaching capoeira? And that changes would go only downward in the hierarchy and eventually go upward as a side effect?

]]> By: Nobility Title http://4capoeirathoughts.com/2010/02/04/paulo-freires-libertarian-philosophy-of-education-and-the-politics-of-capoeira-22/#comment-788 Nobility Title Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:41:06 +0000 http://4capoeirathoughts.com/?p=309#comment-788 Thanks for writing such a thought-provoking post. Let’s keep the comments relevant. Thanks for writing such a thought-provoking post. Let’s keep the comments relevant.

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