This text studies the professional technical education of the Brazilian Federal Institutes from the perspective of a philosophical critique. It starts with emergence of the Federal Institutes in a positivist liberal context, linking it to technocracy and expertise in the social and pedagogical model present in those institutions. This reflection then turns to the role of the teaching of Philosophy in defense of professional technical education with a integral formation against the professional education from a positivist liberal point of view. Thus, this study seeks to contribute to strengthening an integral professional technical education.