Orlando Fals Borda, pedagogo de la praxis

Abstract

Orlando Fals Borda is undoubtedly the most important research in social sciences in recent history of Colombia and one of the most prominent Latin American thinkers .

The work of Orlando Fals Borda begins to generate the questions and issues of social inquiry. Warn the three elements of science and mental attitude : the "intellectual mimicry" , the need to historicize the social processes and the concomitant social engagement with them. In the development of thought - action process is generating a progressive , conscious and decided epistemological break with European and American models of social science, imported uncritically and thoughtlessly implemented in Latin American schools . This discussion and break - lead him to raise is the need to build a new paradigm endogenético .

Higher education must tend to simultaneously promote the search for new targets ( utopias ) and the destruction of old paradigms . The implementation of a dialectical model of the extension, an urgent need to " break down the walls that still separate , more than necessary , to community college " is noted. The urge to break the monopoly of knowledge as it is necessary to incorporate the dynamics of university life the recognition of the Other, represented in students and communities and reference groups. Ethical awareness is be aware of the existence of the other , not only as mere statistics or depositories of knowledge . Knowing the reality and know it is the prerequisite for the transformation of a model of society or a historical deepening desire based on advances that have occurred in our villages . A research university is not a technology of domination. In this process , the investigation has to be in the center of the university task. The alternative is the implementation in universities rhythm of reflection and action by betting Participatory Action Research . This process may be able to help in several directions: the first is that it can serve as a vaccine for intellectual arrogance , his attitude differentiation of mental and manual labor , the second , which may help to "find" research topics young people in solving anxiety to do research for their titles (even at the undergraduate level ), and , third , that this ongoing encounter with reality promote the topics of inquiry are closer to social reality and not only out of personal and individual student imagination , then we can construct a science tied to the "real " reality and away from the "scientific " reality . It is true that times have changed , we face a new period of colonialism ( neo ) with an unshakable scientific universe . Opponents still fighting and counter nuclei , although scattered . The troubles of the people follow the agenda and heartrending reality are demanding a creative attitude. Fals Borda 's contributions to academia can help in the task undertaken by dynamic groups within institutions still believe that the academy must be transformed to benefit the majority and in the way of improving the living conditions of mankind.