I thank Kenaz Filan and Anna Longo for their careful attention to this paper and for their thoughtful feedback.
Abstract: What I propose here is the theoretical integration of Simondon’s allagmatics with the critical pedagogy popularized by Paulo Freire. With it’s emphasis on dialectic educational praxis and conscientization, Freire’s
Pedagogy of the Oppressed forms a framework which coheres perfectly with Gilbert Simondon’s notions of allagmatics: the dynamic interaction of structure and operation, laid out in his
Épistémologie de la cybernétique. Through the application of Simondonian ideas surrounding collective epistemology and normativity, to Freire’s democratic ideal of the dialogic learning environment, we find the potential to transcend static curricula, creating adaptive educational clearings that amplify information and position students as co-creators of knowledge. Aligning a cybernetic focus on operational dynamics with a commitment to social justice empowers students to navigate and reshape their own social realities, offering a novel and robust alternative to hierarchal educational model.
