The philosopher John Dewey was born on October 20, 1859, the same year that Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’ was first published. Dewey happens to be one of my very favorite philosophers. While today he’s most well known for his work on the philosophy of education, the breadth of topics he covered in his 92 years of life was truly prodigious. He explored most every topic this side of the Big Bang with incredible nuance and complexity. Indeed, he wallowed in the complexity of the world, and took great pains to bring out the muddiness of existence. 'In life that is truly life, everything overlaps and merges,’ he wrote. He is associated with American pragmatism, a school of thought that challenged dichotomies, brought into focus human experience as natural animals, and worked to ensure that philosophy had bearing on real world issues. Dewey was a master of complexity. Dewey, as Louis Menand wrote, was a thinker who 'never seems to have come across a distinction he did not find inherently invidious and wish to break down.’ Dewey was also a champion of a sophisticated form of democracy and a dedicated advocate for the oppressed. It’s true that much of his writings can be difficult to tackle (Wendall Holmes once said that 'although Dewey’s book is incredibly ill written, it seemed to me to have a feeling of intimacy with the universe that I found unequaled. So methought God would have spoken had He been inarticulate but keenly desirous to tell you how it was.’). Even still, taking the time to sit with Dewey and patiently connect with his lovely and complex approach to the world will prove to be moving, enriching, and, perhaps if you’re lucky, provide you with an unequaled feeling of intimacy with the universe. Happy bday, Dew-dog! 🎂🌌🎉 🧠❤️📚
