Through Alice’s looking glass

Interest, experience and democracy in John Dewey’s pedagogical ideas

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to produce a critical review of the selected texts from the work of the American philosopher and professor John Dewey (1859 - 1952). Dividing the text into themes, the analysis focuses on three main points: the inclusion of “interest” in the educational process, the objective experience as a guide for the act of educating and the structuring of an education for democracy. The author's argumentative structure is briefly reconstructed based on the bibliographic and critical review made by Robert B. Westbrook (2010) and on an interview by Cristiane Trindade (2019). The methodology used in this article is based on the interpretation of the author’s main ideas which is the base of our comprehension on how Dewey imagined and practiced his pedagogy. Finally, we aim to present two critical comments on the author's thought, as well as to touch on the actuality of his theoretical heritage, building a parallel between such ideas and the conflicts we are currently facing, especially regarding the defense of democracy.