Grange, Joseph. (2006). John Dewey, Confucius, and Global
Philosophy. Albany: State University of New York Press.
(Foreword by Roger T. Ames)
136 pp.
$45.00 (Hardcover) ISBN 0-7914-6115-7 Released
2004.
$17.95 (Papercover) ISBN 0-7914-6116-5 Released 2006
Reviewed by Jimmy Kelly
Texas Tech University
March 17, 2006
Joseph Grange in his book John Dewey, Confucius, and Global
Philosophy, compares the philosophies of the American
philosopher John Dewey with the teachings of the ancient Chinese
philosopher Confucius. John Dewey became one of America’s
major philosophers by contributing to the development of
pragmatism, a school of philosophy that focuses on the importance
of experience, reflection, and action.
Confucius’s
philosophy focused on the path a person traveled in life, and the
importance of treating others as you wish to be treated. In the
book’s preface, the author describes his concern with the
relationship between the cultures of the East and the West,
primarily the relations between China and the United States, and
the role philosophy should play in the development and enrichment
of culture. He maintains throughout the book’s four
chapters that the purpose of philosophy is to build a body of
knowledge that helps human beings cope with the challenges of
living within communities, and clearly describes, “the
parallel understandings of culture and the human person found in
the works of John Dewey and Confucius” (Grange, 2004, p.
xiv). Grange skillfully brings together the philosophical
principals of Confucius and John Dewey, despite the fact that
over two thousand years separate their theories, and how their
theories reflect upon two vastly different cultures.
The language and structure of the book allows readers to
easily understand the complex principles and subjects it
presents. Grange’s work serves as a comparative
introduction to the philosophies of both Dewey and Confucius. It
includes many quotes from Dewey, excerpts from The Analects of
Confucius, and straightforward examples to illustrate the
meanings and the implications of the topics discussed. The book
itself is broken into four chapters. The first three chapters,
entitled “Experience,” “Felt
Intelligence,” and “Culture,” examine the main
viewpoints or maxims shared by Confucius’s and
Dewey’s philosophies. Chapter four, titled “A Second
Confucius,” was written as a comparative summary of
important principles that underlie the philosophical theories of
both Confucius and Dewey.
The importance of experience in the philosophies
of Confucius and John Dewey is the focus of the first chapter of
the book. Grange examines experience from a number of different
perspectives in an effort to leave the reader with a clear
understanding of this complex concept at the heart of human
development. The author's approach to this topic reflects his
extensive knowledge of this aspect of Dewey’s philosophy,
which holds experience critical to learning, understanding, and
effectively living in a constantly changing environment. Grange
gives a simple example for his readers’ consideration, in
order to help them understand the importance of experience for
the individual and the community in which they live.
A beaver finds itself in an environment within which it
needs a stable supply of water. In building its dam, it alters
its environmental field and thereby transforms its own experience
as well as those of others connected to this particular
region… But it does this not by changing these other beings
but by transforming the field within which they and it live.
These other beings are forced to react to these new conditions.
They do this through their own experience. (Grange, 2004, p. 4)
Confucius speaks of the importance of the Dao,
translated as “Way.” Granger correlates Dewey’s
ideas on the importance of experience with “three
interlocking ideas that shape the Confucian worldview:
Dao, De, and Ren” (Grange, 2004, p.
23). The author defines De as the excellent, and
Ren as the ultimate goal, which is described as the
accomplishment of becoming a human being. Through directed
experiences we can learn the way to become human, and through the
search for excellence we can improve our environment, not only
for ourselves but for our entire culture.
The second chapter of Granges book examines
Dewey’s work to infuse life into the scientific method
through his emphasis upon the importance of the aesthetic
component of experience. In an effort to avoid the contradictions
that plagued many earlier philosophies which sought to separate
the mind from the body, Dewey’s philosophy did not
disregard the importance of human thought and feeling as a
component of experience. Dewey sought to avoid the many
separations which resulted in the prevention of melding human
experience with the reality of the world.
What bothered Dewey was the fact that the discipline
traditionally charged with presenting an integrated view of
nature, human beings, and the universe was guilty of devising
ways and means to separate these interrelated domains. Philosophy
had become the enemy of experience, not its champion. (Grange,
2004, p. 3)
Grange calls Dewey’s “fusion of the scientific and
the aesthetic” felt intelligence. Felt intelligence
resulted from Dewey’s philosophical efforts to bring the
human body and its sensory experiences into the construction of a
“foundation of genuine human understanding.” (Grange,
2004, p. 32) Grange opens the discussion further by introducing
the importance of human inquiry to the problems and challenges
faced by people. Inquiry links situations with those dealt with
in the past, leads to the definition of the problem, determines
how the problem relates to previous problems, and finally how the
facts of the problem relate to cultural values. It is through his
discussion of inquiry that the author again connects
Dewey’s ideas to the principles of Confucius. Primarily
Grange focuses on the principals of Li (rituals or
cultural norms), Yi (involvement), and Zhi
(knowing). It is Li that helps a person live within a
culture, and Li defines the boundaries of a person’s
experiences within a culture. The person’s Yi shapes
the experiences of the people they affect both directly and
indirectly through their actions. “Zhi names the
process whereby we realize both the existence and the value of
what is known” (Grange, 2004, p. 53). Grange’s
discussion of the importance of these Confucian principles
prepares his readers for the next chapter, which focuses on and
is entitled “Culture.”
Grange introduces one of the major focal points
for the philosophies of Confucius and Dewey in the third chapter
of his book. The chapter begins with the continued discussion of
the importance of feeling in problem solving, related to the
individual or groups ability to cope with cultural challenges.
The initial example given is that of a family who is preparing
for a visit from an in-law (Grange, 2004, p. 56). Feelings, both
past and present, impact on the decision making process that
alter the experiences of someone faced with the challenge of
maintaining positive relationships within their community.
Throughout the chapter the author gives other examples of
cultural challenges. Again an emphasis is on using feeling to
guide one to the proper solution to a problem. The importance of
the individual taking the right action according to his or her
culture is also necessary, to both Dewey and Confucius, in
finding solutions to a problem. The author goes on to exemplify
what makes up a good culture, one that can survive and allows its
individuals the most opportunity for growth toward becoming
human. It is in this chapter that the author displays his solid
understanding of the ideas that Dewey fostered in his
philosophical theory. He describes the importance of the habitual
body, communication, ethics, shared experiences, interactions
between events, compassion, and understanding. Dewey’s
ideas are then interwoven with those of Confucius through
He (harmony), Xin (the source of thinking and
feeling that lies at the core of human life), Xin (living
up to ones word) (Grange, 2004, p. 78), and Junzi (the
exemplary person) (Grange, 2004, p. 84). Again the author
expounds on Confucian principles and shares a number of lessons
from The Analects of Confucius to paint a clear picture of
the connections that exist between the ideas of Confucius and
Dewey, who Grange informs his readers was called “A Second
Confucius.”
In the final chapter of the book Grange returns to
the major points presented in the previous chapters and makes
further comparisons between the philosophical views of Confucius
and Dewey. The author’s return to discussion on the
correlating ideas of, the Dao and experience, Li
and inquiry, and Ren and Communal Culture, allows readers
to cement her or his understanding of these important maxims, and
observe how they bring together the two seemingly distant
philosophies of Dewey and Confucius. Within the body of this last
chapter, as well as throughout the book, the author interestingly
uses the principles put forward by Confucius and Dewey to analyze
current cultural trends. This is an example of how the author
believes philosophical theories are tools to be used by
humanity.
The goal of Joseph Grange’s book John
Dewey, Confucius and Global Philosophy is to allow readers
to see the shared principles of the philosophies of one of
America’s most important philosophers, John Dewey, and the
ancient philosophical teachings of the Chinese philosopher
Confucius. Both men sought the development of a philosophy that
could improve the lives of people in their communities and serve
as a guide for continual societal improvement in an effort for
each individual in a community to become the best human being
they could be. Grange effortlessly extends the understanding of
Dewey’s philosophical views and this book would also be a
useful tool for anyone seeking to further illuminate
Dewey’s views on the relationship between culture and the
individual. The text serves as an outstanding introduction to the
philosophies of both Confucius and Dewey and is written in a way
that makes its material easy to access and comprehend. In the end
the author leaves the reader with a clear understanding of the
correlations that exist between the philosophies of John Dewey
and Confucius.
Copyright is retained by the first or sole author,
who grants right of first publication to the Education Review.
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