American Philosopher, Educator, and Writer

American Philosopher, Educator, and Writer

Glenna Simmons, Tiffany George,

Giles Dancer, Kevin Sherman

PHL/215

October 28, 2010

Jeff Dunlap, PH.D

Abstract

John Dewey was an American philosopher, educator, and writer. Dewey was one of America's famous teachers of philosophy during the first half of the twentieth century. As a young man at the age of 15, Dewey entered the University Vermont. While at the University Dewey was introduced to the different works of philosophers and became interested in ideas that the world had to offer. Dewey graduated second in his class at the age of nineteen with a bachelor in philosophy. After graduating Dewey went on to teach philosophy at several universities until he retired in 1931. John Dewey was an American philosopher who founded the movement known as pragmatism. He led the way in functional psychology and guided the progressive movement in education. Dewey was a strong promoter of instructuralism, but always a pragmatist. At the University of Michigan, Dewey's interests changed from the philosophy of G.W.F. Hegel to the new experimental psychology that was being implemented in the United States. Dewey was elected president of the American Psychological Association and in 1905 he became president of the American Philosophy Association. The diversity of Dewey's writings, his influence on philosophy, education, legal theory, political theory, and social sciences place him among other philosophers who have greatly influenced contemporary thinking. Some of Dewey accomplishments include 40 books and over 700 articles, in addition to countless letters, lectures, and other published works. Dewey was considered to be the "modern father of experiential education","father of progressive education", and "father of pragmatism".

American Philosopher, Educator, and Writer

John Dewey was an American philosopher, educator, and writer. Dewey was one of America's famous teachers of philosophy during the first half of the twentieth century. He studied the universe and what man's place is in it. Dewey also made some powerful proposals for adjustments in the American educational system. John Dewey was born in Burlington, Vermont on October 20, 1859, and passed away at the age of 92 on June 1, 1952 in New York City. He was brother of three boys and the son of Archibald and Lucinda Dewey.

Dewey was fifteen when he entered the University Vermont. His grades were better in science than other subject and in later years he would consider this as the upmost expression of human intellect. In Dewey's senior year at the university he was introduced to the different works of philosophers and became interested in ideas that the world had to offer. Dewey graduated second in his class at the age of nineteen with a bachelor in philosophy. Dewey joined the Johns Hopkins University in September 1882. Dewey studied under George Morris, a teacher of philosophy, and Granville Hall, a teacher of psychology. In 1884, Dewey's last year at the university, he obtained his doctorate shortly after Dewey published his fifth paper.

In 1885 after graduating from the Johns Hopkins University, Dewy received a job teaching psychology in Michigan at the University. In 1886 John Dewey married his first wife Alice Chipman. John's wife Alice,was the one that influenced John out of numerous beliefs. Robinson Walker (1997), "Alice dropped John straight from the ivory tower into the ethical and practical muddles of daily life. As Dewey himself put it after her death, 'My wife used to say quite truly that I go at things from the back end. I'm hampered by too much technical absorption' "(par, 2). Dewy went to the University of Minnesota in 1888 and taught as a philosophy professor for a year. At this time, a request was made for Dewey to return to the University of Michigan to take over for George Morris who had passed away. John returned to Michigan in 1889 to lead the philosophy department. In the last years Dewey was at the University of Michigan he was learning how experimental science and learning works with each other. Dewey taught there until 1894. At this point in time Dewey left Michigan and became employed at the University of Chicago. Here he started the Dewey School in 1886. The principle of the Dewey School was his wife Alice. The school is what built the school of thought known as pragmatism. "Pragmatism means that in school the curriculum should be based on everyday life and combined it with lessons"(Robinson Walker, 1997). In 1886 John also wrote the "Reflex Arc Concept in Psychology". Dewey was forced to resign after having an argument with the university's president about how the school should be thought. Dewey was well known and was offered a position at Columbia University. This is where Dewey stayed teaching until he retired in 1931.

John Dewey was an American philosopher who founded the movement known as pragmatism. He led the way in functional psychology and guided the progressive movement in education. Dewey's academic career began in 1884 at the University of Michigan. He was a strong promoter of instructuralism, but always a pragmatist. Generally, pragmatists rejected that there are absolute truths. Instead, he or she believes that truth is relative to a specific time, place, and purpose and therefore is constantly changing because of new information (Moore & Bruder, 2005). After receiving his doctorate, he began teaching philosophy and psychology at the University of Michigan. It was here that Dewey's interests changed from the philosophy of G.W.F. Hegel to the new experimental psychology that was being implemented in the United States. The study of child psychology prompted Dewey to develop a philosophy of education that would meet the needs of a changing democratic society. In order to develop and articulate his philosophical system, Dewey first would need to expose the flaws of the existing tradition (Britannica, 2010). In 1899 Dewey was elected president of the American Psychological Association and in 1905, he became president of the American Philosophy Association. The diversity of Dewey's writings, his influence on philosophy, education, legal theory, political theory, and social sciences place him among other philosophers who have greatly influenced contemporary thinking (, 2005). Dewey was a genuine public leader, considered to be the most unrestricted educational philosopher of the 20th