Democracy Has to Be Born Anew Every Generation, and Education Is Its Midwife

By Amber Strong Makaiau


We have taken on a new venture at the Hanahau‘oli School Professional Development Center–printing apparel with hallmark progressive education quotes meant to inspire and spread the message of the ongoing progressive education movement. Characterized by a distinct philosophy and practice that emphasizes experiential, child-centered, and hands-on learning, progressive education at its core is also dedicated to ensuring the future of our democracy. It is for this reason that we selected this quote from John Dewey (1916) to print on our inaugural line of t-shirts: Democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife” (p. 138 - 139).

 
 

This citation is probably familiar to most progressive educators and in some cases it has made its way into mainstream media (e.g. the New York Times), Facebook posts (e.g. Sir Ken Robinson’s thought of the day), and popular sites like Wikiquote (see John Dewey’s page). However, as we went through the process of creating our new shirt, we discovered that the true source of this now famous progressive education statement is often misattributed. In some cases, writers cite Dewey’s (1899) classic work, The School and Society. Others, including Google’s AI Overviews, reference Dewey’s Democracy and Education (also published in 1916). As it turns out, both of these books are not the definitive origin of the text. In this blog, we set the record straight by sharing more about the hard to find primary source (now scanned and accessible using the link below) of Dewey’s profound, enduring, and prescient words: 

Dewey, J. (1916). The Need of an Industrial Education in an Industrial Democracy. In J. A. Boydston & A. Sharpe (Eds.), John Dewey: The middle works 1899-1924. Volume 10: 1916-1917 (pp. 137 - 143). Carbondale and Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Press, London and Amsterdam, Fefer & Simons, Inc. [First published in Manual Training and Vocational Education 17 (1916): 409-14]

The Need of an Industrial Education in an Industrial Democracy  

Volume 10 of John Dewey's Middle Works covers his 1916-1917 writings, focusing on public issues and politics, including the "The Need of an Industrial Education in an Industrial Democracy" essay, which argues why “democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife” (p. 138 - 139). The volume also contains his commentary on universal military training, the Wilson-Hughes presidential campaign, and the future of pacifism, reflecting the shadow of World War I on public discourse. Other works discuss education, the role of teachers, and the nationalization of education, showcasing Dewey's shift to public intellectualism during the war years.

"The Need of an Industrial Education in an Industrial Democracy" is built on the premise that a society, which values both industrialism (aka capitalism) and democracy at the same time, must have an education system that not only prepares youth for industry and work, but also life in a democratic society. He writes:

Industrial education may be treated as an indispensable factor in material prosperity, or as a factor in promoting the ability of a nation in the competitive race for commercial supremacy among nations…All of these things have their importance. But they all look at education as an instrument for external ends, and they pass lightly over…the demands laid upon education by the need of fostering democracy in a country largely industrial, and where the need is recognized of making the spirit of democracy permeate industry (p. 137).

To build his argument, Dewey (1916) uses the essay to outline the aspects of a “political democracy” (pp. 137 - 138) that must be taught in school (e.g. the system of laws and administration, universal suffrage, and direct participation in choice of rulers), and more importantly the social and moral qualities of a democratic living that are not necessarily inherent to the human condition. 

About the social characteristics of a democracy that must be learned, Dewey (1916) explains: 

A social democracy signifies, most obviously, a state of social life where there is a wide and varied distribution of opportunities; where there is social mobility or scope for change of position and station; where there is free circulation of experiences and ideas, making for a wide recognition of common interests and purposes, and where utility of social and political organization to its members is so obvious as to enlist their warm and constant support in its behalf. Without ease in change, society gets stratified into classes, and these classes prevent anything like fair and even distribution of opportunity for all…[If young people don’t learn how to engage in these social qualities of democratic living, then] the stratified classes become fossilized, and a feudal society comes into existence. Accident, rather than capacity and training, determines career, reward, and repute. Since democracies forbid, by their very nature, highly centralized governments working by coercion, they depend upon shared interests and experiences for their unity, and upon personal appreciation of the value of institutions for stability and defense…qualities as insistence upon widespread opportunity, free exchange of ideas and experiences, and extensive realization of the purposes which hold men together, are intellectual and emotional traits. The importance of such qualities is the reason why we venture to call a social democracy a moral democracy. And they are traits which do not grow spontaneously on bushes. They have to be planted and nurtured. They are dependent upon education (p. 138).

As the final lines in the quote above allude, because the social and moral qualities needed for democratic governance are not innate at birth or organically occurring characteristics of human social life, they must be explicitly taught in schools. He emphasizes that this is especially true in societies that concurrently value industrialization, technological innovation, and capitalism alongside democratic values.

Dewey writes: “[Therefore,] it is no accident that all democracies have put a high estimate upon education; that schooling has been their first care and enduring charge. Only through education can equality of opportunity be anything more than a phrase” (pp. 138 - 139). He goes on to explain that in industrial societies like the USA, people must be explicitly taught how to “understand and sympathize” with people who come from diverse backgrounds, and if they engage in this process in schools they will develop “a condition of common purpose which only education can procure” (p. 139). Dewey summarizes his thinking around this topic, stating: “because of the part played by industry in modern life, an education which has to do with preparation for it must bear these considerations in mind more than other forms, if democracy is to remain an actuality” (p. 139). He concludes the essay underscoring the critical role of public education, asserting that “the natural counterpart of free and universal public education is a system of universal industry…where the ruling motive is interest in good workmanship for public ends, not exploitation for private ends” (p. 143).

As the selected excerpts from his 1916 essay illustrate, Dewey was a transformative American philosopher, psychologist, and educator whose ideas made him a definitive intellectual powerhouse of his time. Today, the content and spirit of his philosophical thinking remains relevant. This is why “Democracy has to be born anew every generation, and education is its midwife” is the perfect first quote for launching our brand new Hanahau‘oli School Professional Development Center t-shirts! To dig deeper into Dewey’s writing, we encourage you to access the original document and make sense of it on your own terms. If the message resonates, join our emergent progressive education fashion collective by ordering a shirt of your own to spread the word.  

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Amber Strong Makaiau is a Specialist at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Director of Curriculum and Research at the Uehiro Academy for Philosophy and Ethics in Education, Director of the Hanahau‘oli School Professional Development Center, and Co-Director of the Progressive Philosophy and Pedagogy MEd Interdisciplinary Education, Curriculum Studies program. A former Hawai‘i State Department of Education high school social studies teacher, her work in education is focused around promoting a more just and equitable democracy for today’s children. Dr. Makaiau lives in Honolulu where she enjoys spending time in the ocean with her husband and two children.