The Life Perspectives Of John Dewey's Philosophy Of Education And Their Inspirations

John Dewey's philosophy of education plays a very important role in the history of educational philosophy, which in company with ancient Grecian Plato's classical educational philosophy, Rousseau's naturalism educational philosophy during the Enlightenment Movement and latter-day Kent's nation educational philosophy are considered as western four milestones of the educational history. Thereby, the study on John Dewey's philosophy of education is always hot no matter in the past or nowadays. On the base of the previous study, this paper focuses on a brand-new view—life perspective to analyze John Dewey's philosophy, hoping to get some reference and inspiration for the further improvement of the realistic educational life and the enhancement of the educational philosophy's development.The actual contradictions and academic difficulties of education are the start as well as the end-point of educational studies. Therefore, we mainly focus on the two issues: the first one is the disengagement between education and life. This paper points out that the current disengagement between education and life directly leads to the disharmony in individual's current life, and eventually misses the terminal goal of education–the care for life. While education must care for life, and focus on the current life is a specific viewpoint of John Dewey's philosophy of education, which is the right significance of the study about John Dewey's educational philosophy. The second issue is the current predicament of educational philosophy. This thesis puts forward that the current predicament mostly dues to the narrow perspective of educational philosophy. So we can see that the profound thoughts and influence of John Dewey's educational philosophy is closely related with its wide perspective.On the second part, we mainly analyze and conclude John Dewey's educational philosophy from four aspects. Firstly, it is on the base of a practical and all-sided grasp of life when John Dewey develops his educational philosophy. Secondly, John Dewey's educational philosophy believes that caring for life should pays more attention on the care for the meaning of life. To an ultimate purpose, the philosophy of education serves for the grasp of life value and the realization of meaning. Thirdly, through the discussions on the freedom of children and teachers in education as well as the various embodiments of his"new liberalism", John Dewey strongly shows his ideal and pursuit for the freedom of life. Fourthly, Education constantly opens the significant doors for life, which on the contrary make it a meaning practice. Because of the amalgamation with exciting life experience, education fulfils its value. John Dewey's educational philosophy advocates life experience."History review must make for the decision-making of the future actions, or it can be only regarded as knowledge of'story'while without any thoughtful meaning."The purpose of the study on classical education works is to get some inspiration for the current realistic educational problems, and directs today's educational reform. Therefore, the third part, aiming at the actual needs of education and the development of the educational philosophy, we discuss the inspirations of the life perspectives of John Dewey's educational philosophy. We think, in order to realize education's care for life, that educational philosophy has to balance the current and future of life, equal the value between individuals an society, advocate individuals` experience for life; educational philosophy has to broaden its perspectives, care for life and settle practical issues in order to find the root of its cresses and make for a renascent route.