Research On Citizen Education Thought Of John Dewey's Democratic Participation

The era of Dewey's life coincides with the transition period of American society,and the laissez faire economic policies in promoting the development of the capitalist economy of the United States also produced many social problems. The concept of "for the people, of the people, by the people" has not been well practiced by American democracy. At the same time, citizens' participation power of the democratic in the national political life has been greatly restricted, which caused the general public shows "indifferent" to the national political life. In the light of this, Dewey got on a comprehensive and profound reflection on the democratic political significance based on classical democracy theory. And thereby limited the Democratic elite democracy was critical analysis.Dewey pointed out that the democratic participation of citizens in social life was the basis and guarantee of political democracy; it's also the cornerstone of the "of the people “to” by the people" of the government. Therefore, Dewey's participation in democratic citizenship education reflected in the individual action. It emphasizes the active participation and transformation of citizens in social and political life, and in order to form a great democratic community. On the individual way of thinking, it emphasizes that the individual develops a social reason and scientific way of thinking involved in the process, so as to provide intellectual support for the democratic participation of citizens. The main significance of Dewey's participation in democratic citizenship education is to establish a common democratic culture, and can make factories; communities and other social organizations are disseminated in the atmosphere of democracy.So "mutual collaboration joint life, developing democratic habits, creative and science social reason, and active social participation spirit" becomes the ideal image of citizens in Dewey participation democratic civic education thought.In China, "the people are the masters of the country" is the best interpretation of Dewey's participation democracy, at the same time, the development of democracy atthe grassroots level is basic requirement of democratic participation, and it is also the socialist democratic system of the solid foundation. Thus Dewey's participation in the democratic ideas of civic education for the construction of China's socialist democratic and harmonious society has certain positive significance, and also provides a feasibility path for realizing the practice that People are the masters.