John Dewey and Confucian Thought

Assesses John Dewey's visit to China in 1919-21 as an "e;intra-cultural"e; episode and promotes "e;Chinese natural philosophy"e; as a philosophical context in which to understand the connections between Dewey's philosophy and early Confucian thinking.In this conclusion to his two-volume series, Jim Behuniak builds upon the groundbreaking work begun in John Dewey and Daoist Thought in arguing that "e;Chinese natural philosophy"e; is the proper hermeneutical context in which to understand early Confucianism. First, he traces Dewey's late-period "e;cultural turn"e; in more detail and then proceeds to assess Dewey's visit to China in 1919-21 as a multifaceted "e;intra-cultural"e; episode: one that includes not only what Dewey taught his Chinese audiences, but also what he learned in China and what we stand to learn from this encounter today."e;Dewey in China"e; provides an opportunity to continue establishing "e;specific philosophical relationships"e; between Dewey and Confucian thought for the purpose of getting ourselves "e;back in gear"e; with contemporary thinking in the social and natural sciences. To this end, Behuniak critically assesses readings of early Chinese thought reliant on outdated Greek-medieval assumptions, paying particular attention to readings of early Confucianism that rely heavily on Western virtue ethics, such as the "e;Heaven's plan"e; reading. Topics covered include education, tradition, ethics, the family, human nature, and religiousness-thus engaging Dewey with themes generally associated with Confucian thought.