To Provoke or to Encourage? - Combining Both within the Same Methodology

Critical Theory and Martin Buber To answer these questions, it is important to juxtapose some of the concepts of critical theory with the ideas expressed by Martin Buber. According to Giroux (1998), the Frankfurt School's contributions to critical theory are especially relevant to the field of education as they provide an essential resource for developing a critical theory of social education. Specifically, Giroux contends that the Frankfurt School's Critical theory directs educators to analyze any social and political tensions and discords. As Giroux asserts, the Frankfurt School's notion of critique and the development of an active critical consciousness are the preconditions necessary for cultural and political mobilization. This focus on the human transformative value, he avers, is directly relevant and thus germane to the field of education. The School's contributions are imperative for the field of education because of "the emancipatory spirit that generated them" (55). Specifically, such concepts as the Frankfurt School's rejection of unquestionable objectivity, critique, and self reflection are essential to pedagogy in general and to critical pedagogy in particular. Critical Theory strongly insisted on the dialectical approach to any problem which allows for both "critique and theoretical reconstruction" (Giroux, 42). Extremely useful for education is Critical Theory's principle of negation and protest. This principle promotes a mode of critique that helps to uncover values that are often seen as invalid or are hidden from direct observation. This principle ensures "the willingness to analyze the reality of the social object against its possibilities" (Giroux, 42). Buber's dialogical problem-posing approach can be seen as an application of Critical Theory to critical pedagogy for