Letters to the Editor

Is it OK to be liberal again, instead of progressive? Come out of the closet, liberals. Stop using the fashionable euphemism "progressive" and relaunch the old, tarnished L-word. By Michael Lind [2008-11-21]

• John Dewey was no" Progressive"

  Dewey was a Democratic Socialist. He supported Norman Thomas over FDR. He opposed eugenics and genetic approaches to understanding intelligence. He was an early advocate of participatory democracy. Dewey was more left than most contemporary liberals. He was a champion of the non-Communist Left and easily its most widely respected public intellectual from WWI (which he supported all too easily) to WWII (which he initially opposed). He stood up for what he believed, but he didn't get drawn into petty catfights, although some of his competitors like Rheinhold Niebuhr (the last great Evangelical lefty) tried their best. Dewey influenced the fields of philosophy (his work on pragmatism represents the last truly comprehensive school of philosophy), psychology (he helped organize the American Psychological Association) , and education (his semi-inscrutible progressive education, which many of his own followers misunderstand, and his advocacy for teacher's unions). Lind has a point, but he also needs to know his history. In matters of belief and temperament, Dewey is someone we (liberals) should know more about.

  -- raj
  [Read raj's other letters]
  Permalink Flag Thursday, November 20, 2008 07:29 PM
  Click "Submit Flag" if you feel this post is inappropriate. Explain why below if you wish.

  Cancel