Deweyan pragmatism offers alternative theories of mind, self, and society that challenge the currently dominant ideology of the democratic public in the Unites States and elsewhere. By tracing Dewey's thinking to its origin in the... more
Deweyan pragmatism offers alternative theories of mind, self, and society that challenge the currently dominant ideology of the democratic public in the Unites States and elsewhere. By tracing Dewey's thinking to its origin in the essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson we catch a glimpse of what makes democracy somewhat unique in the U. S., for better and worse. We will also see how Dewey appropriated and reconstructed Emerson to develop his own theory of the democratic public. I will also examine Dewey's response to the "democratic realists", especially Walter Lippmann, who were skeptical of Dewey's democratic ideal. This will provide a distant mirror for reflections on our own era. The paper concludes with some speculations about the future of the democratic public in the U. S. in the age of multinational cooperate capitalism. (DIPF/orig.)
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Background/ContextOur article develops insights from Paul Woodruff's book, Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue (Oxford University Press, 2001), to discuss reverence in teaching. We show how reverence is both a cardinal and a... more
Background/ContextOur article develops insights from Paul Woodruff's book, Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue (Oxford University Press, 2001), to discuss reverence in teaching. We show how reverence is both a cardinal and a forgotten virtue by situating it within the philosophical tradition of virtue ethics, which involves traits of character as embodied predispositions to act in certain ways in concrete contexts. Virtue ethics sometimes conflicts with abstract, rule-governed ethics, much as the ethics of care does. Virtue ethics appeals to emotional conviction in ways that rule-governed ethics does not. This article looks specifically at the emotions of shame and respect that are associated with reverence for the high ideals that may bind together an otherwise diverse, even diverging, schooling community.Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of StudyThe purpose of this article is to understand spiritual dimensions of teaching by elucidating the cardinal and forgotten vi...
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Background/ContextListening is largely overlooked in cultures constituted on the basis of the freedom of speech, such as we find in the United States and elsewhere.Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of StudyThe article explores... more
Background/ContextListening is largely overlooked in cultures constituted on the basis of the freedom of speech, such as we find in the United States and elsewhere.Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of StudyThe article explores compassionate listening as a creative spiritual activity. Such listening recognizes the suffering of others in ways that open up possibilities for healing and transformative communication. It is particularly important for a caring profession like teaching and critical for good teaching and learning relationships.Research DesignRelying on philosophical reflection, the article mixes some of the basic ideas of Eastern thought revolving around the image of the Bodhisattvas as they who constantly ameliorate suffering. The article concentrates on the Bodhisattva “Perceiver of the World's Sounds.”Conclusions/RecommendationWe can only relieve suffering if we attend carefully to the needs, desires, interests, and purposes of others and respond in terms of t...
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This paper poses a Deweyan challenge to both the neoclassical framework of rational choice and models of bounded rationality and deliberation, especially the procedural theory of rationality advanced by Herbert Simon. We demonstrate how... more
This paper poses a Deweyan challenge to both the neoclassical framework of rational choice and models of bounded rationality and deliberation, especially the procedural theory of rationality advanced by Herbert Simon. We demonstrate how modern theories on procedural or instrumental rationality trace their origin to the tradition of British empiricism, especially the philosophy of David Hume. Most theories of action
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After Ontotheology: Reciprocal, Caring, Creative, and Right RelationshipsWith the end of ontotheology we may realize, as Dewey did, that what sustains us is our caring relationships with physical nature, biological life, and other... more
After Ontotheology: Reciprocal, Caring, Creative, and Right RelationshipsWith the end of ontotheology we may realize, as Dewey did, that what sustains us is our caring relationships with physical nature, biological life, and other persons. My paper argues that relationships are ontologically basic and caring relations are morally basic. Right relationship binds us to the world and holds us together. We live by the grace of others. I conclude that after ontotheology, we must seek to form reciprocal, caring, and creative relationships.
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There are a multitude of powerful cultural archetypes and images of the school teacher. These include nurturing caregiver, guardian of morality, champion of the global economy, self‐sacrificing do‐gooder, cultural worker, intellectual,... more
There are a multitude of powerful cultural archetypes and images of the school teacher. These include nurturing caregiver, guardian of morality, champion of the global economy, self‐sacrificing do‐gooder, cultural worker, intellectual, tyrant, and many more metaphors. Jim Garrison’s essay introduces another figure, a mythological persona, to the pantheon of images depicting the school teacher — the Trickster. Tricksters are masters of multiple interpretation that cross, bend, break, and redefine borders. Garrison concentrates on prophetic tricksters that create openings in closed structures to reveal hidden possibilities. In practice, many teachers are tricksters. They know how to maneuver in, around, and through rigid bureaucratic structures and standards to connect with their students and make a difference while exercising creative autonomy in the classroom. Garrison’s essay provides examples of trickster teachers drawn from literature depicting classroom practice.
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Engeström and Miettinen in their introduction to their edited book with Punamäki (1999) compared John Dewey with the work of A. N. Leont'ev. The understanding of Dewey's work in this introduction reaches a depth rarely plumbed by... more
Engeström and Miettinen in their introduction to their edited book with Punamäki (1999) compared John Dewey with the work of A. N. Leont'ev. The understanding of Dewey's work in this introduction reaches a depth rarely plumbed by those who are not specialized in Deweyan scholarship. By expanding on this comparison and contrast it is possible to develop a Deweyan critique of activity theory, at least as we find it in Leont'ev. My article suggests that activity theory (a) remains captured by a dualism between the external and the internal, (b) sometimes ignores context because it fails to distinguish existence from essence, and (c) sometimes over-intellectualizes the activities it analyzes. It is also possible to develop a Deweyan theory of activity. The article introduces (a) Dewey's theory of "trans-action," (b) his theory of functional coordination, and (c) the notion that we live in a world without a within. The article concludes with a comment on Dewey's theory of the mental, intentionality, and semiotics.
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My paper is a critical-creative reader’s response to William J. Clancey’s contribution to this volume: “Transactional Perspective on the Practice-Based Science of Teaching and Learning.” Because I agree strongly with what he says, there... more
My paper is a critical-creative reader’s response to William J. Clancey’s contribution to this volume: “Transactional Perspective on the Practice-Based Science of Teaching and Learning.” Because I agree strongly with what he says, there will be little criticism. I begin by examining the matrix of biological functioning from whence cognitive functioning emerges to make some comments about motivation before connecting
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Page 1. ICHARD RORTY : ATIO PHILOSOPH AND POLITIC Page 2. Page 3. Richard Rorty This One 3BSB-7EK-1CNX Page 4. Page 5. Richard Rorty Education, Philosophy, and Politics Edited by Michael A. Peters and Paulo Ghiraldelli Jr. ...