John Dewey Essay Example for Free

caper Dewey EssaySynopsis tail end Dewey was born October 20, 1859, in Burlington, Vermont. He taught at universities from 1884 to 1930. An academician philosopher and prop binglent of schoolingal reform, in 1894 Dewey started an observational elementary school. In 1919 he cofounded The New School for kind Research. Dewey published over 1,000 pieces of writings during his lifetime. He died June 1, 1952, in New York, New York Early LifeJohn Dewey was born on October 20, 1859, to Archibald Dewey and Lucina Artemisia Rich in Burlington, Vermont. He was the third of the couples four sons, one of whom died as an infant. Deweys mother, the daughter of a wealthy farmer, was a devout Calvinist. His father, a merchant, left his food product business to become a Union Army soldier in the Civil War. John Deweys father was known to share his passion for British literature with his offspring. After the war, Archibald became the proprietor of a flourishing tobacco shop, affording the f amily a comfortable life and financial stability.Teaching CareerThe autumn after Dewey graduated, his cousin-german landed him a didactics job at a seminary in Oil City, Pennsylvania. Two long time later, Dewey lost the position when his cousin resigned as principal of the seminary.After being laid off, Dewey went back to Vermont and started teaching at a private school in Vermont. During his free time, he read philosophical treatises and discussed them with his motive teacher, Torrey. As his fascination with the topic grew, Dewey decided to take a break from teaching in effectuate to study philosophy and psychology at Johns Hopkins. George Sylvester Morris and G. Stanley Hall were among the teachers there who influenced Dewey most.Upon receiving his doctorate from Johns Hopkins in 1884, Dewey was hired as an assistant professor at the University of Michigan. At Michigan he met Harriet Alice Chipman, and the two married in 1886. all over the course of their marriage, they would give birth to six children and adopt one child. PhilosophyDeweys philosophical treatises were at first inspired by his reading of philosopher and psychologist William James writing. Deweys philosophy, known as experimentalism, or instrumentalism, generally centered on human experience. Rejecting the more rigid ideas of Transcendentalism to which Dewey had been exposed in academia, it viewed ideas as tools for experimenting, with the intention of improving the human experience.Deweys philosophy also claimed than man behaved out of habit and that change a good deal led to unexpected outcomes. As man struggled to understand the results of change, he was forced to destine creatively in order to resume control of his shifting environment. For Dewey, thought was the means through which man came to understand and bring together with the world around him. A universal education was the key to teaching people how to abandon their habits and think creatively.Education ReformJohn Dewey was a strong proponent for progressive educational reform. He believed that education should be based on the principle of learning through doing.In 1894 Dewey and his wife Harriet started their own experimental primary school, the University Elementary School, at the University of Chicago. His goal was to test his educational theories, but Dewey resigned when the university president fired Harriet. written materialDewey wrote his first two books, Psychology (1887) and Leibnizs New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding (1888), when he was working at the University of Michigan. Over the course of his lifetime, Dewey published more than 1,000 works, including essays, articles and books. His writing covered a broad range of topics psychology, philosophy, educational theory, culture, religion and politics. Through his articles in The New Republic, he established himself as one of the most super regarded social commentators of his day. Dewey continued to write prolifically up until his death.Later Life and DeathIn 1946, Dewey, then 87, remarried to a widow named Roberta Grant. Following their marriage, the Deweys lived off of Robertas inheritance and Johns book royalties. On June 1, 1952, John Dewey, a lifelong supporter of educational reform and defender of rights for everyman, died of pneumonia at the age of 92 in the couples New York City apartment.