Danilo Dolci and Paulo Freire: An intertwined analysis between maieutic and dialogique for a problematizing education
Matteo Tracchi
Danilo Dolci was an Italian social activist, a sociologist, a popular educator and a poet. In his work, he considered educational commitment as a necessary and natural outcome for a personal inner journey, in order to create a more active and responsible civil society. The article aims to stress Dolci’s educational role, which has unfortunately been overshadowed by his social and political struggle. After a brief biographical sketch, the article focuses on the reciprocal maieutic approach of Dolci’s methodology and on his Draft of Manifesto of 1988. The article pushes the analysis further by linking Danilo Dolci to Paulo Freire, one of the most important educators and educational theorists in the world. From this intertwined exercise, numerous similarities emerge between the two intellectuals, both on a biographical as well as theoretical and practical level. The final objective of this article is to shed a light on a very specific part of Dolci’s multifaceted life and activities, namely his educational commitment to create a more active and responsible civil society. This vision, together with Dolci’s methodology, are still relevant today and can offer some interesting food for thought to anyone involved in education.
Keywords
Danilo Dolci, education, reciprocal maieutic approach, Paulo Freire.