Response to Dewey and Cronon Readings

Dewey articulates the importance of education as a process of transmission in social life, as comparative as reproduction in physical life. He constructs his argument based on the observation that living is a process of continuous self-renewal. The term “self-renewal” implies both biological and psychological improvement. Upon this foundation, he further scrutinizes “community” and reveals that community is a place whereby people share a set of common knowledge. Such knowledge, in return, induces the sense of commune and the need to communicate. This is where education comes into play. Education, according to Dewey, is necessary to maintain the society in which we all dwell (4). Moreover, he emphasizes such function accentuates the connection between the old and the young, and therefore serves as a transmission in social life. Nonetheless, not all knowledge can be learned from natural process, i.e. living in proximity and learning literally from one another, especially when social institutions become more and more complex; such condition initiates the arrangement of formal education. However, given the current development in technology, formal education may cause further division rather than encourage coherence.

On the other hand, Cronon raises the question of liberal education. Interestingly, instead of discussing the public function of education, he states that liberal education should facilitate the growth of individual talent as to achieve human freedom. Although the “human freedom” is to serve the “human community” (5), the essence of liberal education is the realization of personal value, upon which Cronon numerates ten requirements, extending across literacy, articulacy, reasoning and comprehension. Yet by no means does Cronon relate “liberal education” to a state of achievement; he points out that liberal education is a process and a way of living. Eventually, this “way of living” needs to be connected back to the community, and thus reminds the educated of his or her obligation and responsibility.

Question: both Dewey and Cronon promote that education serves to develop and to maintain the community. What are their true intentions? Are they different or are they the same?