The Critical Thinking of Arturo Uslar Pietri and his contributions to the Venezuelan and Latin American Educational System

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to interpret the thoughts of Arturo Uslar Pietri and his contributions to the Venezuelan and Latin American educational system. To do this, the social work of the aforementioned author is reconstructed, to understand how the historical moment he lived influenced his way of thinking. It is essential to highlight that the thought and pedagogical action of Arturo Uslar Pietri greatly surpassed the educational field, due to his tireless social and intellectual work put into practice throughout his life, always with the same tenacity, originality and kindness that characterized him. This study is based on a documentary review, to interpret through a hermeneutical process the thought of Uslar Pietri, in terms of his life, work, thought and contributions to Venezuelan education that led to the creation of the proposal of "an education for life" (Uslar, 1963), which means preparing people so that they can fully and usefully integrate into society, developing their potential and creative capacities, and actively participating in knowledge and the transformation of reality. Uslar Pietri proposes an education that is not limited to transmitting scientific notions, but that encourages the critical spirit, curiosity, imagination, responsibility and solidarity, a liberating education. Specifically, it presents a conception of an education for the development of a socio-transformative posture