Pedagogy Paraphrasing Period Two
SECTION ONE:
1. The act of dehumanizing affects both those who are being dehumanized and those
doing the dehumanizing. 2. The act of dehumanizing others twists the lifework or mission
of achieving our full potential as human beings. This warping of what should be our real
work has happened and is a part of history, but it is not an historical mission that humans
should have pursued then or continue pursuing now. 3. In fact, if we believe that
dehumanization is inevitable, we will become cynical or hopeless.4. The struggle to
become more human- by granting the freedom to choose one’s work, by rejecting no one
from society, by emphasizing the humanity of both men and women- would be pointless.
5. This goal is possible because although dehumanization is a reality of history it is not
inevitable. Actually, it is the result of an unfair social structure that leads oppressors to
become violent against the oppressed, dehumanizing them. 6. Because dehumanization
twists the idea of becoming more human, eventually those who are less human (the
oppressed) will fight back against those have dehumanized them. 7. In order for this
struggle to create or regain their humanity to be successful, the oppressed must not
become oppressors themselves. Instead, they need to restore the humanity of both groups.
SECTION TWO:
1. It is the humanistic and historical job of the oppressed to free themselves and their
oppressors. 2. The oppressors are not capable of liberating themselves or the
oppressed because the power they hold is weak. 3. The power of the weak is the
only power which can free them both. 4. Any attempts that the oppressors trying
to help the oppressed, almost always results in false generosity and it will never
go beyond that. 5. The system of injustice needs to continue for the oppressors to
show their false kindness to the oppressed. 6. This unjust social order is supported
by death, despair and poverty and is the source of this false generosity.
7. Oppressors are interested in keeping the power of false generosity, and
therefore they want to maintain the social order. 8. The oppressed need to fight to
destroy oppression and the unjust system, which leads to false generosity. 9. The
oppressed then have to live with the oppressor’s false generosity. 10. Therefore,
true generosity is the only avenue that allows the oppressed to become selfsustaining members of society.
SECTION THREE:
1. It is the responsibility of the oppressed and their supporters to reinstate true generosity
because they are the only people who understand what oppression feels like. 2. By
fighting for the establishment of humanity, the oppressed are fighting for true generosity.
3. Who better understands the terrible effects of an oppressive than the oppressed
themselves? 4. Only the oppressed know the negative effects of being oppressed. 5. Who
better understands the need for freedom? 6. They will only gain freedom through
recognizing its necessity and taking action by applying their beliefs of true generosity. 7.
The fight for freedom is given purpose by the oppressed because their struggle is for truth
and purity against the “lovelessness” they have been experiencing. The oppressed are
doing an act of “love” because they are freeing themselves and their oppressors by ending
the cycle of false generosity by the oppressors.
SECTION FOUR:
1. In the initial attempt to gain freedom, the oppressed become the oppressors. 2.
The way the oppressed think has been taught to them by the oppressors. 3. The
oppressed wish to be free, but for them that means becoming an oppressor. 4. This
is how they think humans should act. 5. This happens because the oppressed
become attached to the oppressors. 6. The oppressed in this situation cannot
perceive oppressors as oppressors because of their attachment. 7. But this doesn’t
mean the oppressed don’t realize they don’t have freedom. 8. The oppressed don’t
understand their oppression because that’s the only life they know. 9. The
oppressed confuse their fight for freedom with becoming the oppressors.
SECTION FIVE:
1. As the oppressed struggle for liberation, they do not see their new ideal as resolving
this social conflict, once they gain freedom. 2. Instead they see themselves as the new
oppressors. 3. Their new ideal becomes centered around themselves and gaining power,
as they no longer want to see themselves as oppressed, and they strive to become the
oppressor. 4. The reason they fight for land reform, becomes not to gain equal freedom
from unfair practices, but to obtain for themselves the power to control some land. 5. It is
rare to see a peasant who is promoted to overseer who does not use his newfound power
to oppress those below him, more so than the owner himself. 6. This situation occurs
because the peasant can still not see beyond a society of the oppressed and an oppressor.
7. To retain power in this society of oppression where he is still responsible to the owner,
the peasant now the overseer, must continue oppression of those below him. 8.
Essentially as the oppressed work towards liberation, they end up following the model of
power the oppressor has set. 9. Even a revolution, defined by overthrowing an oppressive
power, must face this tendency of the oppressed, to become the oppressor. 10. Many of
the people fighting in a revolution, will end up fighting while ignoring the cycle of
oppressor and oppressed in their society. 11. As long as people continue to overlook the
patterns this system of oppression follows, there will always be and oppressor and an
oppressed in society.
SECTION SIX:
1. The idea that the oppressed have a fear of freedom which leads them to want to be
oppressors or trapped as the oppressed should be examined. 2. One of the basic elements
of the relationship between the oppressor and the oppressed is the oppressor making
decisions for the oppressed. 3. The oppressors impose their decisions on the oppressed,
conditioning them to think like their oppressors. 4. Because the decisions of the
oppressors are being forced upon the oppressed, the oppressed begin to act like the
oppressors. Footnote: No Translation. 5. Because the oppressed begin to think and act
like their oppressors, they are fearful of freedom. 6. Freedom means taking responsibility
and having to think for oneself. 7. The oppressed must fight for their freedom; it is not
given to them. 8. Freedom is not unattainable and it is not a myth. 9. Fighting for freedom
is an essential part of the journey to become fully human.
SECTION SEVEN:
1. To overcome oppression people need to recognize the causes so they can create
change to make possible the pursuit of a fuller humanity leading to a fair
society.2. Steps are being taken to create a fuller humanity leading to a more fair
society. 3. Although oppression acts as a double edge sword damaging both the
oppressed and the oppressor, the oppressed must fight for both themselves and the
oppressor who is unable to lead because he is weakened by his own destructive
dehumanizing behavior.
SECTION EIGHT:
1. The oppressed have become accustomed to domination, and will not fight for
freedom as long as they are incapable of running the risks. 2. This fight for
freedom threatens the oppressors, as well as the oppressed because they fear the
consequences. 3. When people realize that they want to be free, they see that this
can become true only when others realize that they want to be free too. 4. But
while there are still risks, people will not appeal to each other, or listen to others,
or even themselves. 5. They prefer loose friendships over comradeship, people are
more comfortable in their current situation, the idea of going out of their comfort
zone scares them. 6. They suffer from contradicting ideals that are deep within
them. 7. They are not human beings unless they have freedom. 8. They want to be
human beings but they fear freedom. 9. They have taken the conscience of the
oppressor and internalized it within themselves. 10. They have to choose between
being united or being divided; between throwing out the oppressor or not;
between unity or alienation; following orders or having choices; watching or
taking action; between speaking out or staying silent. Their power is limited to
create and to change the world. 11. This dilemma that the oppressed face will
affect how teachers need to educate them.