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Single Idea 22875

[filed under theme 24. Political Theory / D. Ideologies / 5. Democracy / a. Nature of democracy ]

Full Idea

A democracy is more than a form of government; it is primarily a mode of associated living, of conjoint communicated experience

Gist of Idea

Democracy is not just a form of government; it is a mode of shared living

Source

John Dewey (The Middle Works (15 vols, ed Boydston) [1910], 9:93), quoted by David Hildebrand - Dewey 4 'Democracy'

Book Ref

Hildebrand,David: 'Dewey' [One World 2008], p.119

A Reaction

This precisely pinpoints the heart of the culture wars in 2021. A huge swathe of western populations believe in Dewey's idea, but a core of wealthy right-wingers and their servants only see democracy as the mechanism for obtaining power.

The 19 ideas from John Dewey

22866 Mind is never isolated, but only exists in its interactions [Dewey]
22873 Liberalism should improve the system, and not just ameliorate it [Dewey]
22872 Liberals aim to allow individuals to realise their capacities [Dewey]
22870 No belief can be so settled that it is not subject to further inquiry [Dewey]
22869 Knowledge is either the product of competent enquiry, or it is meaningless [Dewey]
22867 The quest for certainty aims for peace, and avoidance of the stress of action [Dewey]
22864 Philosophy is the study and criticsm of cultural beliefs, to achieve new possibilities [Dewey]
22879 'God' is an imaginative unity of ideal values [Dewey]
22877 We should try attaching the intensity of religious devotion to intelligent social action [Dewey]
22880 The things in civilisation we prize are the products of other members of our community [Dewey]
22878 Religions are so shockingly diverse that they have no common element [Dewey]
22871 The good people are those who improve; the bad are those who deteriorate [Dewey]
22876 Democracy is the development of human nature when it shares in the running of communal activities [Dewey]
22865 Habits constitute the self [Dewey]
22874 Individuality is only developed within groups [Dewey]
22868 The value and truth of knowledge are measured by success in activity [Dewey]
22875 Democracy is not just a form of government; it is a mode of shared living [Dewey]
21516 We want certainty in order achieve secure results for action [Dewey]
8478 Dewey argued long before Wittgenstein that there could not seriously be a private language [Dewey, by Orenstein]