Towards a Social Philosophy: Dewey’s Newly Restored China Lectures (Departmental Seminar)

Abstract:

During his visit to China in 1919-1921, John Dewey delivered a series of sixteen lectures on “Social and Political Philosophy” in Beijing.  Until recently, the only record of these lectures was a Chinese transcript of what Dewey reportedly said.  Scholars have long questioned the accuracy of this record, suspecting that the translator, Hu Shih, adjusted Dewey’s message to better fit his own philosophical agenda.  Now, a century later, Dewey’s own notes for this lecture series have been recovered.  For the first time, we are able to compare Dewey’s notes with the received record.  Indeed, there are significant differences between Dewey’s notes and the Chinese transcriptions, the former giving us a much clearer idea of what Dewey was trying to do.  Inspired by his observations in China, Dewey had begun to formulate a “social philosophy,” but it was never fully articulated in his subsequent work.  Some of its elements, however, would resurface decades later when Dewey embarked on his unfinished “Cultural turn.” With Dewey’s entire body of work to draw from, these newly recovered notes invite us to return to his unrealized “social philosophy,” and to recognize its importance as a critical method for achieving social harmony through examining the function of specific cultural interests against the background of shared human needs.

Delivered in English.
All are welcome.