Customer Reviews

The Essential Dewey, Volume 1: Pragmatism, Education, Democracy (Vol. 1)

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I believe that John Dewey was one of the most important philosophers in history, bar none. But he is not easy to read, in part because of the subtlety of his thinking, in part because of his prose style, which can be ponderous and convoluted. My first encounter with him was in "Pragmatism: A Reader" by Louis Menard (Pragmatism: A Reader), and I was not thrilled. For some reason, I decided to try Vol. 1 of this anthology, and my opinion was totally turned around. This book is an excellent introduction to Dewey's thinking. The articles are well-selected, presenting a lot of breadth, and substantial depth in such a way that you are led somewhat gently into difficult subject matter, and not bowled over by unfamiliar concepts. Of course, like most anthologies, at some point it leaves you wanting to go deeper. I bought both Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, but someplace early in Vol. 2 decided to switch to "Experience and Nature" (Experience and Nature), and am glad I did. I will probably go back to Vol. 2, though. The BREADTH of Dewey's thought was also phenomenal, and only a good anthology (or a lifetime of study) can give one a feel for that.