The education of John Dewey : a biography / Jay Martin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Martin, Jay.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Dewey, John, 1859-1952.

Dewey, John.

Educators--United States--Biography.

Educators.

Philosophers--United States--Biography.

Philosophers.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (901 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New York : Columbia University Press, c2002.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

During John Dewey's lifetime (1859-1952), one public opinion poll after another revealed that he was esteemed to be one of the ten most important thinkers in American history. His body of thought, conventionally identified by the shorthand word "Pragmatism," has been the distinctive American philosophy of the last fifty years. His work on education is famous worldwide and is still influential today, anticipating as it did the ascendance in contemporary American pedagogy of multiculturalism and independent thinking. His University of Chicago Laboratory School (founded in 1896) thrives still and is a model for schools worldwide, especially in emerging democracies. But how was this lifetime of thought enmeshed in Dewey's emotional experience, in his joys and sorrows as son and brother, husband and father, and in his political activism and spirituality? Acclaimed biographer Jay Martin recaptures the unity of Dewey's life and work, tracing important themes through the philosopher's childhood years, family history, religious experience, and influential friendships. Based on original sources, notably the vast collection of unpublished papers in the Center for Dewey Studies, this book tells the full story, for the first time, of the life and times of the eminent American philosopher, pragmatist, education reformer, and man of letters. In particular, The Education of John Dewey highlights the importance of the women in Dewey's life, especially his mother, wife, and daughters, but also others, including the reformer Jane Addams and the novelist Anzia Yezierska. A fitting tribute to a master thinker, Martin has rendered a tour de force portrait of a philosopher and social activist in full, seamlessly reintegrating Dewey's thought into both his personal life and the broader historical themes of his time.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

BOOK I. Emergence

Childhood

The Christian Influence

The Beginning of John Dewey's Education

A Career in Teaching?

A Career in Philosophy?

Dewey's Philosophic Influences

Becoming a Philosopher

Finding Both a Philosophic Niche and a Job

Dewey in Love

Dewey's Philosophy Expands

Dewey's Reputation Builds

Fred Dewey

To Minnesota and Back to Michigan

Writing About Ethics

A Utopian Deception

Family Life

Harper and the University of Chicago

BOOK II. Experience

Wealth and Poverty

Evelyn Dewey

Another Kind of Education

Morris Dewey

Overworking at the University of Chicago

More Publications

Progressive Education

The Lab School

Resignation

Lucy Dewey

Jane Dewey

Columbia Comes to the Rescue

Back to Europe

Starting Over

The Gorky Affair

Five Arcs of Activities

Dewey's Teaching Style

War

New Restrictions

The Aftermath

The Polish Project

Alexander's Influence on Dewey

A Philadelphia Story

Dewey's Interest in Poland

BOOK III. Engagement

Alice's Depression

On to Japan

China and "New Culture"

No League and No War

Sabino Dewey

Idealism Corrupted

Now to Turkey

Then to Mexico

Losing Alice

Dewey Among the Soviets

Three More Books

The Gifford Lectures

Enjoying Life Again

Dewey Turns Seventy

The Stock Market Crash and Its Aftermath

Dewey's Political Philosophy

Dewey's Interest in the Arts

The Last Educational Mission

Leon Trotsky

Dewey's Logic

Dewey and Valuation

Dewey's Eightieth Birthday Celebration

Education and Freedom

Bertrand Russell

More Controversies

Further Views on Education

After the War

John and Roberta

The Last Birthday Celebration

The End

Last Words

Acknowledgments

Notes

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [511]-538) and index.

ISBN:

9780231507455

0231507453

OCLC:

828795449