John Dewey's philosophy of education

Abstract

This is an essay on John Dewey's philosophy of education. The scope of the essay may be described in a general way as the exploration and examination of the supposed point or points of contact between Dewey's technical philosophical formulations on the one hand and his views about the aims and general character of education on the other. This is outlined in Chapter One. In Chapter Two I have attempted to give a general account of Dewey's views as to what philosophy is. The chapter is entirely expository and is intended to be read as a preparation for the more critical examination of some of the main concepts and arguments that is provided in the following chapters. Dewey's metaphysical perspective is the subject of examination in Chapter Three. I have tried to clarify and determine the meaning (i.e., Dewey's meaning) of the concepts of nature, experience, and intelligence which appear as fundamental notions in Dewey's philosophical writing as well as in his thinking about social and educational matters. These notions are found to lack clarity and precision. I have also tried to draw attention to some of the basic difficulties involved in Dewey's conception of metaphysics and in his metaphysical position. This is followed by an account in Chapter Three of the pattern of inquiry as Dewey has formulated it. I have tried to indicate the important role of the method of inquiry in Dewey's philosophical framework. I have discussed certain fundamental issues raised by Dewey 's account of the phases of inquiry. I have also analyzed the model of inquiry to determine Dewey 's conception of science and scientific method. The first section of Chapter Five contains an examination of Dewey's theory of valuation. Here I have examined his model of inquiry in the more direct form of the method of evaluation and indicated its major shortcomings. In the following section I have analyzed his conception of growth as a moral end or ideal and have argued that in terms of his philosophical position this has serious limitations. Before turning directly to the problems occupying us in the pages to come I have tried in Chapter Six to clarify certain points about the nature of contact between technical philosophical categories and social and educational theory. I have attempted to draw certain lines to explain our present purpose and to indicate the scope of the following discussion. The following chapter consists of an analysis of Dewey's reconstructed conception of the democratic way of life. I have tried to show that Dewey's model of inquiry does not apply to complex social situations and that the kind of society he seems to envisage - a great majority integrated around a common core of ethical values - could be destructive to liberty and other values. Next, in Chapter Eight I have analyzed Dewey's educational writing with a view to determine his views about the aims and general character of education. I have tried to examine whether Dewey's basic recommendations about educational aims and methods are logically connected with his technical philosophical formulations or are rendered more likely by them. Conclusion: At almost every point, the upshot of this analysis has been to suggest that the logical or philosophical links that Dewey claimed or assumed between his technical philosophical formulations and educational recommendations do not in fact exist.