The Meaning of John Dewey’s Trip to China, 1919-1921
This year, in addition to teaching American philosophy in Taiwan, I have been researching John Dewey’s visit to China from 1919-1921. The facts surrounding Dewey’s visit are fairly well known. Dewey arrived in China at the height of the May Fourth Movement. His former students invited him to tour and to give lectures throughout the country, and there are detailed records of his itinerary and the content of his talks. I have focused primarily on how this experience influenced Dewey himself, and I have been reading his papers and personal letters in order to gain some insight. The real meaning of Dewey’s visit remains a question that neither history nor philosophy has conclusively settled. According to historian Benjamin Schwartz, “the encounter between John Dewey and modern China is one of the most fascinating episodes in the intellectual history of twentieth-century China.” After reviewing Dewey’s own experiences, I think it is fair to say that it was one of the most fascinating episodes in Dewey’s own intellectual development as well. Of particular interest in this regard is the manner in which the relationship between Confucian institutions and democratic reform was debated in Dewey’s presence, and the way
