Ideologia e utopia: o fascínio da novidade da educação nova

The New while it expresses the spirit of utopia it embraces rupture and hope. The challenge of the New is a very old undertaking with a view to affirming the whole New Education pedagogical discourse. The analysis the authors undertook of the texts of some of the New Education authors underlining the mythical and utopian resonances of their novelty, identifies its founding act and acknowledges the characteristics of the ideal society envisioned by this educational movement. The authors also inquire about the nature of the child and the important role it plays in the formation of the new man, a «total man» shaped by an «integral education», and in the building of a society where harmony and peace prevail. The methodology used is based on the reflexive hermeneutic tradition and interprets the some of the key works of the main authors of the movement. At the end of their analysis the authors point out that whilst New Education is part of a continuum of educational ideas, it radically shifts the focus of pedagogy into the child, at the same time underscoring the belief in the School’s educational and social role.