Democracy and Education

Democracy and Education, published in 1916, is an introduction to the philosophy of education by John Dewey. In it he argues that education is an unavoidable necessity for any social group, since its members are continually born and die. Newborns are immature and do not know the knowledge or customs of the group, so it is not enough for them to survive physically: they must be initiated into the interests, purposes, information, skills and practices of adults, or the group would cease to sustain its characteristic way of life.

Dewey notes that this gap exists even in the simplest societies, but grows as civilization becomes more complex. Growing up and mastering the bare necessities of subsistence no longer suffice to reproduce collective life, and deliberate and thoughtful effort is required. For the author, only education can bridge the distance between the original capacities of the young and the standards and customs of their elders.

Dewey's ideas were never broadly and deeply integrated into the practices of American public schools, although some of his values and terms became widespread. After the Cold War, progressive education regained strength in school reform and educational theory circles, and in inquiry-based learning.