progressivism, individualism, and the public ... - Telmarc Group

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PROGRESSIVISM, INDIVIDUALISM, AND THE PUBLIC
INTELLECTUAL
common today in science and engineering departments, in fact he cost money. His
conflicts in his tenure at Chicago were in many ways the driving element for his revolt
against the system. His movement to Columbia thus provided him with the resources to
promulgate his agenda.
Hofstadter then continues to list the players:
"The roll of distinguished social scientists of the Progressive era…John R Commons,
Richard T Ely, E R A Seligman,…Thorstein Veblen…,Charles A Beard, Arthur F
Bentley and Allen Smith…E A Ross, Lester Ward, John Dewey, …Roscoe Pound… 83 "
These were but a few of the growing number of "public intellectuals" who came forth
during this period.
4.3.6 Anti Individualism
Now we can come to the main point of the discussion regarding Dewey. Namely his
intense anti-individualism. He was strongly opposed to the principle of the rights of the
individual. He was a believer in "society", a term he used again and again, and as a
Progressive he was a true believer in the need to have a strong Government to oversee
and control that society. As we have seen, in education, the intent was less to truly
educate that to train young minds how to benefit the society, the Government, akin to say
the Hitler youth is one were to stretch a point, and secondly he had his enemies list with
the Catholic Church and Catholics in general at the top. If he had his was he would find a
means to eliminate all Catholics by any means.
Westbrook states:
"The democratic ideal, Dewey told his class….was embodied in the slogan of the French
Revolution: liberty, equality , fraternity….."individuality operating in and for the end of
the common interest" 84
Here Dewey states the key element, individuality, individualism, is subordinated to the
society, the end of the common interest. Yet who is to determine that, the majority, and
what rights are left to the individual, the Brandeis right to "be left alone". The right to
practice your religion, not if you are a Catholic, the right to read what you want, not if it
violates the demands of society. Dewey is filled with conflict. Unless of course you do
what he commands.
83 See Hofstadter TAR p 154.
84 Westbrook p. 93
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