Democracy and Education

Some hundred years after John Dewey worked to bring to light what it means to educate and how public education serves as the foundation of democracy, his seminal Democracy and Education speaks urgently not only to critical contemporary educational issues but to contemporary political issues as well. Psychology, epistemology, ethics, and politics are all subjects that John Dewey focused his talents on. Democracy and Education was originally published in 1916, but despite the passage of time, John Dewey remains one of the greatest educational philosophers. In this classic work Dewey calls for the complete renewal of public education, arguing for the fusion of vocational and contemplative studies in education and for the necessity of universal education for the advancement of self and society. Dewey promotes a philosophy of education that focuses on freedom of the mind through guided and directed social activity. Many of Dewey's catch phrases, such as "learning by doing," are now often repeated in educational circles. See for yourself why "Democracy and Education" still stands the test of time.