Is Dewey a Typical Case of Cultivation Paradigm? A Response to Gert Biesta

• In Event: New Ways of Seeing Dewey

Abstract

In Gert Biesta's book "World-centred Education," which was published in 2022, John Dewey is characterized as an exemplar of the cultivation paradigm in education. Biesta further contends that the cultivation paradigm, which emphasizes adapting to the environment while disregarding the possibility of individuals refusing to adapt, aligns with the educational approach received by Nazi member Adolf Eichmann. These remarks by Biesta represent a critique of Dewey. However, upon a closer comparison of Biesta and Dewey's educational theories, particularly in the context of Dewey's concept of the environment, interpreted through existentialism, it becomes evident that they both share a common target of opposition. Therefore, Dewey should not be considered a typical case of the cultivation paradigm in education.

Author

• Daoyong Ding, Beijing Normal University