CONTRIBUIÇÕES DA EDUCAÇÃO PARA A PRODUÇÃO DA AUTONOMIA: O PENSAMENTO DE KANT E PAULO FREIRE

This article addresses the contributions of education to the development of autonomy, seeking to revisit the concept of autonomy as presented by Immanuel Kant and Paulo Freire. The approach adopted was a literature review. Etymologically, autonomy means the power to give oneself one’s own law, derived from the Greek terms autós (self) and nómos (law). It is in Kant’s philosophy that the problem of autonomy gains greater strength and centrality. For him, autonomy denotes the independence of the will from any object of desire (negative freedom) and its capacity to determine itself in accordance with its own law, namely, the law of reason (positive freedom). Immanuel Kant argues that education, from early childhood, plays a crucial role in the moral formation of the individual, emphasizing the need for care, discipline, and instruction to shape a truly human being.Paulo Freire, in turn, emphasizes that autonomy must be achieved and constructed through decisions, lived experiences, and the exercise of freedom. Although autonomy is an essential human attribute, insofar as it is linked to the idea of dignity, it is important to remember that no one is spontaneously autonomous; autonomy is an achievement that must be developed. It is therefore the responsibility of education to provide appropriate formative contexts so that learners may become autonomous. Taken together, these theories converge on the understanding that education is not limited to the transmission of knowledge; rather, it is a fundamental agent in the construction of a meaningful and autonomous existence. By promoting intellectual and moral development, education not only empowers individuals to defend their rights but also contributes to the progress of society.