Rinah Sheleff


 381 

 

Volume 2 Number 2 (2008): 381-382 
http://www.infactispax.org/journal/ 

 
 

THE ORIGINS OF CRITICAL PEDAGOGY, OR 
THE FREIRIZATION OF PAOLO 

  
Rinah Sheleff 

 
A judge was asked by two people to settle a dispute between them.  The first one 

presented her argument, and the judge said:  “You are right!”  The judge’s assistant 
whispered that justice required that the other side be heard.  The second person 
presented his argument, and the judge said:  “You are right!” 
 The assistant was astounded:  “How can both of them be right?!” 
 The judge replied:  “You are right!” 
 
 This folktale comes in many forms:  Sometimes the judge is Nasruddin, 
sometimes a Hassidic rabbi, sometimes a tribal chief.  But the truth is (if there is a 
“truth”) that the situation described originated with the mother of the renowned 
philosopher/educator, Paolo Freire. 
 Paolo’s mother was a wise woman to whom people in the community turned for 
advice and mediation.  One day two people in dispute presented their arguments to her, 
and to both of them she replied:  “You are right!” 
 “Mama,” cried Paolo, “how can both of them be right?”  This was her reply: 
 
“My son, I’m no expert with pre-fabricated correct-ic 
My job is to promote a dialectic 
Through listening most empathetic. 
 
“The discourse must be dialogic 
Never hegemonic 
Or even pedagogic. 
 



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“The issues we must problematize 
And always, always contextualize. 
We must not ever dichotomize  
And never, never demonize. 
For then we would be fragmentized 
And, God forbid, marginalized. 
 
“This will give rise to exploitation 
And the evils of globalization 
With its attendant structural oppression 
To be countered with an activist coalition. 
 
“The key is in the narrative 
Which always must be generative, 
Providing multiple perspectives 
Upon which we can be deeply reflective. 
 
“So never judge, never say “Wrong!” 
Let our shared vision empower us to be strong 
As we search for our commonality 
In a world of subjective reality. 
 
“’Hope springs eternal in the human breast.’ 
We must be vigilant, never allow ourselves to rest. 
 
“Now go and do your homework 
And remember what I say: 
Don’t dare to bring home a report card 
With less than an ‘A’.” 
upon which we can be deeply reflective.