John Dewey Biography

Philosopher and Educator

"I believe that education, therefore, is a process of living and not a

preparation for future living." - John Dewey, My Pedagogic Creed (1897)
Major Contributions

John Dewey was an American philosopher and educator who helped found
pragmatism, a philosophical school of thought that was popular at the
beginning of the 20th century. He was also instrumental in the progressive
movement in education, strongly believing that the best education involves
learning through doing.

Life
John Dewey was born October 20, 1859, in Burlington, Vermont. He died
June 1, 1952, in New York City, New York.

Career
John Dewey graduated from the University of Vermont and spent three
years as a high school teacher in Oil City, Pennsylvania. He then spent a
year studying under the guidance of G. Stanley Hall at John Hopkins
University in America's first psychology lab. After earning his Ph.D. from
John Hopkins, Dewey went on to teach at the University of Michigan for
nearly a decade.
In 1894, Dewey accepted a position as the chairman of the department of
philosophy, psychology, and pedagogy at the University of Chicago. It was
at the University of Chicago that Dewey began to formalize his views that
would contribute so heavily to the school of thought known as pragmatism.
The central tenant of pragmatism is that the value, truth or meaning of an
idea lies in its practical consequences. Dewey also helped establish the
University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, where he was able to directly
apply his pedagogical theories.
Dewey eventually left the University of Chicago and became a professor of
philosophy at Columbia University from 1904 until his retirement in 1930. In
1905, he became President of the American Psychological Association.

Contributions to Psychology
Dewey's work had a vital influence on psychology, education, and
philosophy and he is often considered one of the greatest thinkers of the
20th century. His emphasis on progressive education has contributed
greatly to the use of experimentation rather than an authoritarian approach
to knowledge. Dewey was also a prolific writer, publishing over 1,000
books, essays, and articles on a wide range of subjects including
education, art, nature, philosophy, religion, culture, ethics and democracy
over his 65-year writing career.
Educational Philosophy

Dewey firmly believed that education should not just be teachers making
students learn mindless facts that they would soon forget. He thought it
should be a journey of experiences, building upon each other to create and
understand new experiences.

Dewey also felt that schools tried to create a world separate from students'
lives. School activities and the life experiences of the students should be
connected, Dewey believed, or else real learning would be impossible.
Cutting students off from their psychological ties, i.e., society and family,
would make their learning journeys less meaningful and thereby make
learning less memorable. Likewise, schools also needed to prepare
students for life in society by socializing them.

Selected Publications
The School and Society (1900)
The Child and the Curriculum (1902)
How We Think (1910)
Experience and Nature (1925)
Philosophy and Civilization (1931)
Knowing and the Known (1949)