Synopsis
A pragmatist argument that democracy is a shared way of life and that education must cultivate the habits of inquiry and cooperation it requires.
Core passage idea
Paraphrase · Modern copyrighted workDemocracy is more than a form of government; it is a mode of associated living in which people share experience and adjust their actions to one another.
It locates democracy in everyday social relations and learning, not just voting, making schooling central to a free society.
To avoid a bubble
Pair with Plato, Republic.
Reading note
Read patiently; Dewey builds his case cumulatively, treating education and democracy as two sides of one idea.
Best paired with
Plato, Republic