David Fott

John Dewey and the philosophical foundations of democracy

Abstract Although Dewey rejects the traditional ancient and modern ways of attempting to find a standard of rightness in nature, he is not the sort of anti-traditional philosopher one would suppose he is from reading Rortys account of him. This article first explains how Deweys defense of democratic government rests on the core of his metaphysics. Then it contrasts Deweys and Rortys political teachings; Dewey finds infeasible the kind of fragmentation of private and public conduct that Rorty sanctions. Finally, it returns to Deweys fundamental article of faith, that the experimental method is the method of successful inquiry, to suggest further exploration of the relation between philosophy and faith, on the grounds that he fails to explore it adequately.