Self-belief arrives only through organized struggle combining action and reflection

Evidence

It is only when the oppressed find the oppressor out and become involved in the organized struggle for their liberation that they begin to believe in themselves. This discovery cannot be purely intellectual but must involve action; nor can it be limited to mere activism, but must include serious reflection: only then will it be a praxis. — Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 162

Categorization

• DEFINE: A compact operational definition of praxis: action + reflection, neither alone; core mechanism the redesign must instantiate.
• QUESTION: For the vanguard critique: what does ‘organized struggle’ mean when the facilitator is the one organizing it — does this definition smuggle in a required pre-existing consciousness?
• XREF: connects to: Blocked from action, women turn to self-expression as a means of self-assertion; Radicalized self-reflection can reveal the hidden practical roots of pure theory — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 2328; Absent visible organizations, optimism means stoic endurance rather than action — Nina Eliasoph, Avoiding politics: how Americans…, 960 (+3 more)