Final Reflection: Common Ground, not so Common Ground

Abstract

As a collective voice, all fourteen scholars strongly believe that in this twenty-first century, John Dewey not only is relevant but also contributes a vital and vibrant educational philosophy that resonates as a sound critical and reflective thinking path to address the issues confronting a rapidly changing and global society.

We always live at the time we live and not at some other time, and only by extracting at each present time the full meaning of each present experience are we prepared for doing the same thing in the future.

—John Dewey, Experience and Education, 1938 ¹

The only freedom that is of enduring importance is freedom of intelligence, that is to say, freedom of observation and of judgment exercised in behalf of purposes that are intrinsically worth while.

—John Dewey, Experience and Education, 1938 ²