About
John Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer, a leading figure of pragmatism. Born in Burlington, Vermont, he studied at the University of Vermont and earned his PhD at Johns Hopkins. He taught at the University of Michigan, the University of Chicago, and Columbia. He founded the Chicago Laboratory Schools, a cornerstone of progressive education. His work on functional psychology, democracy, and education profoundly influenced modern thought. He authored numerous works, including Democracy and Education and Experience and Nature.
Major works
- The School and Society (1899)essay
- How We Think (1910)essay
- Democracy and Education (1916)essay
- Experience and Nature (1925)essay
- Art as Experience (1934)essay
Key milestones
- 1896Founded the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, a cornerstone of progressive education.
- 1919-1921Lectured in Japan and China, and served as educational advisor to the Turkish government.
- 1937Chaired the Commission of Inquiry into the Moscow Trials (the Trotsky Commission) in Mexico City.
Themes
PragmatismProgressive educationDemocracyFunctional psychologyCultural naturalism
Sources: plato.stanford.edu · deweycenter.siu.edu · britannica.com