John Dewey (1859–1952) was an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. He is widely regarded as one of the most significant figures in the history of American thought and the American educational system.
Dewey was born in Burlington, Vermont in 1859. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1879 and went on to receive a Ph.D. in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University in 1884. He served as a professor of psychology and philosophy at the University of Chicago from 1894 to 1904, and at Columbia University from 1904 to 1930.
Dewey’s most important contribution to philosophy was his theory of pragmatism, which holds that the meaning of any concept or experience can only be understood in terms of its practical consequences. He argued that knowledge and truth are not fixed, but rather emerge from the process of inquiry and experience. This idea had a profound impact on the development of American thought and the American educational system.
Dewey was also a prominent theorist of education. He argued for a progressive, child-centered approach to education that emphasized active participation and experiential learning. He believed that education should be an enjoyable experience, and that the purpose of education was to promote autonomy and self-realization. He argued for the importance of creativity and critical thinking in the classroom, and advocated for the use of technology in teaching.
Dewey’s ideas were influential in the development of the Progressive Era, a period of social, economic, and political reform in the United States. His ideas have had a lasting impact on American education, and have been adopted by many countries around the world.
References
Dewey, J. (1910). How we think: A restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the educative process. Boston, MA: D.C. Heath.
Hirst, P. (1974). John Dewey and the concept of experience. London: Routledge.
Kliebard, H.M. (2004). The struggle for the American curriculum, 1893–1958. New York, NY: Routledge.
Mayhew, A. (2017). John Dewey’s theory of education. London: Bloomsbury Academic.
Stenhouse, L. (1974). An introduction to curriculum research and development. London: Heinemann Educational.