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Praxis

Praxis refers to a particular philosophy used to guide and conduct research. Like action researchers, those who engage in praxis-oriented research involve the community or group under study in the research process. However, praxis is distinct in that its explicit goal is to empower marginalized peoples and help them challenge their oppression. Engaging in praxis is not a path for the harried researcher interested only in quickly collecting and analyzing data. Praxis-based research is a long process that involves establishing mutually beneficial relationships between the researcher and members of the community of study. Though the effort and time investment may be great, the payoff has the potential to be huge. By engaging in collaborative research, researchers may help participants acquire the critical tools to transform their own lives. This entry examines the historical development of the concept of praxis and then explores the role it plays in contemporary research. It also describes implications of praxis for both researchers and participants and discusses the practices that characterize it.

Theoretical and Historical Definitions of Praxis

This section describes the evolution of the definition of praxis from the work of the ancient Greeks to the philosophy of Karl Marx and then the work of Paulo Freire. The section concludes with a discussion of the differences between praxis and other similar theories.

Ancient Greek Roots: The Work of Aristotle

The earliest known reference to praxis is found in the writings of Aristotle, who identified three different types of human activity: theoria, the production of truth; poiesis, a goal-oriented action; and praxis, action that is an end to in itself. Aristotle did not privilege one activity or view one to be in opposition to another. He understood each to be suited to different situations with different purposes and end goals. Poiesis, for example, is typically associated with the scientific method. Those engaged in poiesis aim to produce theoretical or scientific knowledge using tools such as proof or analytical reasoning to lead to a tangible result. The resulting knowledge is expressed in universal propositions and is true across all situations.

In contrast, the goal of praxis is not the knowledge obtained through an end result or the production of an object, but rather the knowledge produced through action. For Aristotle, the goal of praxis was to produce a morally worthwhile good. Whereas poiesis is defined through the production of a value-free object, praxis is defined as the production of a value-laden and moral good. Unlike the universal knowledge produced through poiesis, knowledge produced through praxis is concerned with the local and the particular. That is, it cannot be universalized across all situations. Those who employ praxis use their knowledge of a particular situation to understand a more general problem.

Early Philosophers: Marx and Gramsci

Marx wrote about praxis mainly during his early years, when the bulk of his scholarship concentrated on philosophy, as opposed to later in his life when he focused on economics. In his 11th thesis on Feuerbach, Marx takes other philosophers to task, criticizing them for not translating their theorizing into concrete action, writing, “philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it” (Glass, 2001, p. 16). Thus, Marx issued one of the earliest calls to action, arguing that people could challenge the status quo. Like Aristotle, who divided human action into various realms, Marx subdivided praxis into two distinct categories. The first type of praxis derives from the capitalist market and refers to the unreflective labor that enables capitalism to thrive. Those who participate in the market automatically engage in this form of praxis, which simultaneously reproduces itself and oppresses the majority of those who participate. The second form of praxis offers an opportunity to challenge the capitalist, involuntary praxis. As Marx describes, this form of praxis is enacted through labor that has the potential to emancipate workers from, and challenge, the status quo.

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