The “liberated” word as an “instrument of liberation”. The contribution of Mario Lodi

In the contemporary pedagogical-educational scene, which investigates and strengthens the relationship between dialogical thought and education, a heuristic-hermeneutic approach that is still current and interesting today is undoubtedly the one put forward by Mario Lodi (1922-2014), which focuses his thought and paideutic practice on the liberated word. A progressive teacher and educator (more than a theorist of education), he manages, like Socrates, to combine bios and logos, giving emphasis to the interpersonal relationship and, therefore, the educational relationship. How? By using the word as an instrument not only for communication and interaction (ontological-existential need for intersubjectivity) but also for the liberation and development of thought. With logos the person experiences the possibility of asserting his ideas and realizing his own human dimension and that of others. It is interesting to note that, for Lodi, the word must first of all be liberated in the being in formation, and then become, in turn, an instrument of liberation, which allows the ego to acquire critical judgment, build subjectivity and implement its own potentials. Indeed, the ontological-existential condition of human beings, of their paideia/Bildung and of their educability, far from being rooted in the self-sufficiency of the ego and in solipsism, refers to the pedagogical category of the relationship, which is an articulation of call and response (E. Ducci).