As impressões de John Dewey sobre a escola russa soviética em 1928: a importância da dimensão política e social da educação para constituição de uma sociedade democrática

Abstract

The central objective of this thesis is to discuss Dewey’s political positioning referring to the role of education and the formation of the individual having as its stating point the educational experiences known during the trip to the Soviet Russia in 1928. From our research the following thesis was formulated: to John Dewey, from the educational experiences in the Soviet Russia in 1928, it is possible to believe in a political education that promotes the formation of the individual aiming a democratic society since the social environment is completely altered. In order to do that, this thesis is organized in five chapters. The first chapter has the goal of exploring the main characteristics of the research source and aspects of the importance of the press. The second chapter approached the materiality lived by John Dewey in the United States and his connections with other countries. In the third chapter we present the main elements that made it possible to the soviet people to construct a revolutionary process that founded the new educational system based on socialist principles. In the fourth chapter we demonstrate how the organization of schools and the fulfillment of the Russian educational experiences made it clear to John Dewey the serious risks that the democratic system was going through in that historic moment. In the last chapter of the thesis, we present to the reader, through political articles in press after 1928, John Dewey’s political positioning that was more critical at the time in relation to the defense of a democratic society. The trip to the Soviet Russia in 1928 is considered by us an important frame of reference in Dewey’s criticism about the society in the United States. According to Dewey, the educational process in the formation of participative citizens in society would depend on various factors, among them, the use of scientific knowledge produced by humanity. When we highlight the trip to the Soviet Russia in 1928 we emphasize that, from that moment on, with the knowledge of the revolutionary social experiment and the development of significant changes in Russian education, John Dewey perceived that it was possible to establish a democratic society based on other models of society, without the need of a dogmatic position just like the Bolsheviks had of Dewey’s perception. Another relevant point in the analyses of Dewey’s political writings after 1928 was his participation in the discussions about the creation of a new political party in the United States. What called our attention in John Dewey’s political participation was his approaching to other intellectuals with different theoretical backgrounds and the defense of some socialist measures as supporting points to the gathering of popular layers for the construction of a new political party. This way, Dewey affirms that democracy is threatened in the capitalist society of his time and proposes a radical change in the social environment. Therefore, to the philosopher, who was born in the USA, obtaining a greater involvement of citizens in political discussions in his country at the historical moment was essential because only the democratic practice would take to the construction of concrete alternatives that would make it possible to leave the profound crisis that was being faced by the society of the United States.