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Basics
Full name John Dewey Born October 20, 1859 Died June 1, 1952 Era 20th-century philosophy Region Western Philosophy School Pragmatism Main interests Philosophy of education, Epistemology, Journalism, Ethics Notable ideas Reflective Thinking American Association of University 2 /1 Professors 21
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John Dewey is well known for his work in logic, scientific inquiry, and philosophy of education. He has also had a great deal of influence in aesthetics and the philosophy of art. His work Art as Experience is 2 /1 regarded by many as one 21

About Deweys style of writing

Deweys philosophical prose is often difficult and dense,although he seems to write in an almost folksy style. It is generally believed that Deweys philosophy has a storng Hegelian influence in them. An interesting aspect of Dewey's writing, and perhaps another reason for the lack of on-going positive reception, was his lack of strong interest in the history of aesthetics. He seldom explicated or critiqued the aesthetic works of others. Although full of quotations, Art as Experience originally lacked adequate footnotes. Dewey followed the Harlem Renaissance and the 2 movement of the New Negro. Because of his /1 1 /2 visits to Mexico, Dewey showed a particular 4

The experience of day to day living is continuous and does not always come to a logical or completely fulfilled conclusion. Thus a single memorable experience is one that comes to a close, is consummated, or fulfills itself to completion . Consummation as it relates to the aesthetic experience occurs when we experience a play, listen to music, navigate a website, or read a poem. There is a beginning and an12end to these experiences and it 1/ 2 4/ is in this way that these

The most important serious advocate of Dewey's thought during this period was Arnold Berleant, often a lone voice in the wilderness (1970, 1991). Berleant, who continues in this 2 /1 1 /2 line today, adopts many 4

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Poets figure as strongly in Dewey's reading list as philosophers, especially Coleridge, Housman, Keats, Poe, Shakespeare and Wordsworth. Visual artists are often quoted, especially Cezanne, Constable, Delacroix, Manet, Matisse (whom he met), Reynolds, 2 /1 and Van Gogh. 1

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The selection of illustrations Dewey chose for Art as Experience was relatively multicultural for the time. They included Pueblo Indian pottery, Bushmen rock-painting, Scythian ornament, and African sculpture, as well as works by El Greco, Renoir, Cezanne and Matisse. Winged Victory was the 2 /1 frontispiece. 1

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Interesting fact
Although Dewey was widely versed in literature, architecture, painting, sculpture, and the theater, he was relatively uneducated in music. He was said to be tone-deaf. Yet he often had insightful things to say about music, and many musicians and music educators have 2 /1 drawn inspiration from his 1 /2 4 theory (e.g., Zeltner

Many writers complain that Dewey showed little interest in the avant-garde art of his time. It is true that neither Cubism, Dadaism nor Surrealism play a role in his writing. His theory seems to actually preclude Nonobjective painting (Jacobson 1960), although he does speak positively of Abstract art. 12
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Thank You
Points to ponder on: Why Dewey

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