ABSTRACT
Marx’s idea of human development as a process brought about by human activity is crucial to his theory of education. For this reason, it deserves close attention. Marx’s concept of ‘praxis’ is important here because it brings together these themes. (I have retained the word praxis, rather than translating it as ‘practice’, for reasons that will emerge later.) Properly understood, this idea is neither a slogan nor an isolated insight but a genuinely theoretical concept, and one that helps us to resolve some puzzles about the nature of education. Our discussion in this chapter will begin with a description of the problematic within which the idea of praxis arises, then proceed to a detailed analysis of the concept and an examination of its application to education.
