Pragmatism and Ecological Conservation: The Ideas of John Dewey

Abstract

Dewey rose to prominence when Theodore Roosevelt started the conservation movement. Accordingly , Dewey criticized business corporations that destroyed virgin lands, polluted rivers, and wasted valuable resources seeking immediate profit. Tying these criticisms to the ways people should think, Dewey contended that people would reduce the dangers of individualism, materialism, and conformity if they sought satisfaction within activities they wanted to pursue. Further, he wanted schools to teach students to think in ways that benefited the students and the society .