A-Infos (en) Brazil, Capixaba, FACA: Education as the Foundation of Freedom: The Anarchist Imperative in Times of Superficiality (ca, de, it, pt, tr) [machine translation]

We live in an era marked by the ephemeral, where the speed of 
information supplants its depth and the consumption of shallow content 
replaces critical reflection. In this context, anarchist activists face 
an urgent challenge: to resist the seduction of superficiality and to 
rigorously cultivate knowledge as a tool for emancipation. True freedom 
— the kind that is not limited to the absence of external shackles, but 
is built on the autonomy of thought — requires more than inflammatory 
speeches; it demands continuous study, reading and research. Without 
solid knowledge, the libertarian project risks reproducing the same 
structures it seeks to demolish, because ignorance, whether voluntary or 
imposed, is always an accomplice to oppression.

The anarchist tradition has always recognized education as a 
revolutionary pillar. Think of Mikhail Bakunin, who argued that 
scientific instruction should be accessible to all, or Emma Goldman, 
whose lectures challenged the intellectual conformism of her time. These 
comrades did not separate social struggle from critical education: they 
knew that a people devoid of culture is easily dominated. Today, when 
capitalism transforms even rebellions into commodities, the 
appropriation of knowledge becomes a trench. Studying political 
theories, delving into the history of resistance and understanding 
economic nuances is not mere academicism; it is learning to dismantle, 
brick by brick, the hegemonic narrative that naturalizes exploitation.

The superficiality of the present is not innocent: it dilutes the 
capacity for analysis, favoring the passive acceptance of oppression. 
Social networks, algorithms and the culture of snapshots fragment 
knowledge, replacing complexity with slogans. For an anarchist, this is 
an invitation to danger. How can we combat authoritarianism without 
understanding its historical roots? How can we build collective horizons 
without debating philosophies of freedom? Serious research allows us to 
reveal the traps of power, identify the coherence (or incoherence) of 
practices and, above all, avoid the replication of dogmas — even within 
libertarian movements themselves. Freedom demands clarity, and clarity 
is born from study.

What we are defending here is that knowledge is not only a weapon of 
criticism; it is the foundation for creative action. Self-managed 
communities, mutual support projects and experiences of libertarian 
education only flourish when supported by practical and theoretical 
knowledge. Mastering agricultural techniques, understanding cooperative 
law or studying non-hierarchical pedagogies are revolutionary acts in a 
world that seeks to keep us dependent on its structures. Culture, in its 
broadest sense, provides the maps to navigate beyond capitalism, showing 
that another social organization is not only possible, but is already 
being sown here and now.

Those who desire freedom must, above all, adopt the stance of an eternal 
learner — because only those who think autonomously can, in fact, dare 
to live without masters.

Federação Anarquista Capixaba - FACA

https://federacaocapixaba.noblogs.org/post/2025/03/01/a-educacao-como-alicerce-da-liberdade-o-imperativo-anarquista-em-tempos-de-superficialidade/
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