Originally published in 1899, The School and Society began as a series of lectures given to parents, professionals, and others at the University Elementary School. In this short volume, Dewey discusses the way in which education is fundamentally tied to a thriving democracy. The problem, according to the author, with the old education model was that elementary schools did not encourage exploration and curiosity in their students. In a country that requires the thoughtful pursuit of ideas by the populace in order to arrive at reasonable governance, this repressive form of education encouraged rote following and closed minds. Anyone interested in philosophy, education, and the general betterment of society will find Dewey's thoughts and early childhood learning progressive and intriguing.

Originally published in 1899, The School and Society began as a series of lectures given to parents, professionals, and others at the University Elementary School. In this short volume, Dewey discusses the way in which education is fundamentally tied to a thriving democracy. The problem, according to the author, with the old education model was that elementary schools did not encourage exploration and curiosity in their students. In a country that requires the thoughtful pursuit of ideas by the populace in order to arrive at reasonable governance, this repressive form of education encouraged rote following and closed minds. Anyone interested in philosophy, education, and the general betterment of society will find Dewey's thoughts and early childhood learning progressive and intriguing.

John Dewey, FAA (October 20, 1859 – June 1, 1952) was an American philosopher, psychologist, leading activist in the Georgist movement, and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. Dewey is one of the primary figures associated with the philosophy of pragmatism and is considered one of the founders of functional psychology. A well-known public intellectual, he was also a major voice of progressive education and liberalism. Although Dewey is known best for his publications about education, he also wrote about many other topics, including epistemology, metaphysics, aesthetics, art, logic, social theory, and ethics.