CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE CHAPTER “THE CRISIS IN EDUCATION”, FROM THE BOOK BETWEEN THE PAST AND THE FUTURE, BY HANNAH ARENDT

Abstract

The chapter “The Crisis in Education”, by Hannah Arendt, offers a sharp critique of the loss of authority, the rupture with tradition, and the weakening of the educator’s role in the ethical formation of new generations. This paper proposes an interpretative analysis that connects these reflections to the field of Financial Mathematics Education, understood here as a critical and socially engaged educational practice. This connection is not explicit in Arendt’s original text, but is developed throughout this review, from a positioned authorial perspective. The choice of this approach stems from the relevance Arendt assigns to the educator as an ethical mediator and to the school as a space of intergenerational responsibility. The methodological approach adopted was analytical and interpretative, based on an in-depth reading of the work. As a result, the study highlights that Arendt’s thought contributes to supporting the need for more integrated curricula, ethically oriented pedagogical practices, and teacher training that values authority without authoritarianism. In reflecting on the meaning of education in the 21st century, the author encourages a renewed commitment to childhood, to culture, and to the world we are shaping for future generations.