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and forever in the process of becoming (Freire, 1996, p. 164), then normative prescrip-
tions which profess to ‘show the way’ to a concrete utopian goal do indeed appear
antithetical to the spirit of hope.
Freire candidly concedes at one point that this tension between the need for utopian
annunciation and the impossibility of utopian prescription is, in fact, a contradiction
within liberating education (Freire & Shor, 1987, p. 33). The contradictory demands
placed upon the progressive educator can be traced to the antinomies in Freire’s reading
of human hope. These antinomies led him to argue, on the one hand, that only a direc-
tive, utopian, prophetic education expresses and carries hope (Freire, 1972b, p. 57;
1985, pp. 137–139) and, on the other, that the wayfaring character of hope dictates that
no prescriptive utopian project can be suggested (Freire, 1978, p. 153). These tensions,
ambiguities and contradictions are carried through into Freire’s treatment of the
activity of hope.
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Hope as the impatiently patient wait
One of the more fascinating aspects of Freire’s philosophy of hope is his characteri-
sation of its behavioural dimension as ‘the impatiently patient wait’ (Freire, 2007b,
p. 81; see also 1972a, p. 41; 1972b, p. 64; 1978, p. 67; 1996, p. 154). This complex
notion resonates with many key themes and tropes within the wider philosophy of hope,
and I want to locate Freire’s understanding of patience, impatience and waiting within
this wider philosophy before turning specifically to their educational implications.
The association between hope and patience is as old as Christian theology itself,
finding classical exposition in Calvin’s discussion of the ‘patient hope’ that nourishes
and sustains faith (Calvin, 1961, pp. 590–591). This theme was taken up by Gabriel
Marcel, often regarded as the twentieth century’s greatest philosopher of hope. For
Marcel, the acceptance of hope as a gift designates an unconditional trust in the
salvific process. Taking as its objective the unrepresentable transfiguration towards
which humanity is travelling, hope is regarded as the source of the resolve to wait with
faith in the face of despair. In Marcel’s terms, hope represents a ‘positive non-
acceptance’ of life’s trials and deprivations (1962, p. 52). This non-acceptance is
distinguished from impatient revolt by virtue of its humility, modesty, serenity and
security. It is also distinguished from passive resignation because it requires courage,
boldness, endurance and perseverance to rise above life’s trials and abide patiently in
hope. Neither revolt nor passivity, Marcel describes the behavioural dimension of
hope as that of ‘active waiting’ (1976, pp. 280–281).
Freire’s reading of hope shares much in common with Marcel’s. Like Marcel,
Freire equates hope with love, trust, serenity, humility, courage and perseverance
(2007b, pp. 82–83), and, like Marcel, Freire dissociates true authentic hope from the
naïve rebelliousness born of willful impatience (Freire, 1978, p. 64; 1996, p. 118;
2007b, p. 64). Freire warns that the hope of the progressive educator cannot be that of
‘an irresponsible adventurer’ (2007b, p. 77). Rather, the struggle against deprivation,
injustice and oppression is ‘a struggle for stubborn people, those who are persistent,
hopeful, and patient’ (Freire, 1996, p. 180). On a number of occasions Freire equates
hope with ‘waiting’ – not the passive waiting of one who folds their arms in resigna-
tion, but the ‘active waiting’ of one who persistently seeks and struggles (Freire,
1972a, p. 41; 1972b, p. 64).
As much as Freire talks of hope in terms of love, trust and serenity, he also associates
it with outrage, indignation and restlessness. Here, Freire is drawing on an altogether