Existing comment:
John Dewey, 1859-1952
"I believe that education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform," stated philosopher and educator John Dewey. Perhaps his greatest work was "Democracy and Education" (1916), which laid the groundwork for progressive education in America. At a time when children learned mainly by rote, Dewey challenged educators to focus on a child's individual needs and rally for more participatory classrooms. According to Dewey, education, democracy, and individualism were not only intertwined, they relied upon each other for the creation of a productive society. Through education, Dewey believed that social concerns could be addressed and society as a whole better understood.
Jacob Epstein, 1927 |