Abstract

The purpose in this study was to investigate the scope and extent of Dewey's influence in Chinese thought and education following his fruitful, two-year-and-two-month lecturing tour in China from 1919 to 1921. John Dewey's extended China visit was a significant event not only in modern China's intellectual history but also in the history of East-West cultural exchange. It was due to his visit that Pragmatism was introduced and spread in that country. This researcher examined the historical records available in several American universities' libraries and some materials carried out of mainland China to dig up what has long been forgotten by the Chinese about this famous American philosopher and educator's visit and the related characters and events. The findings were as follows: Throughout his China visit, Dewey was warmly received everywhere by the Chinese people from all walks of life, especially by the self-styled new intellectuals. Such a warm reception was due to the popular thirst, after the traditional Confucianism was discredited, for fresh ideas imported from the West. Pragmatism was introduced into China because of Dewey's visit. This philosophy dominated Chinese intellectual world from 1919 to 1927 and changed the course of development of the May Fourth Movement or the New Culture Movement. Dewey's influence in Chinese thought was mainly in the aspect of methodology. His Chinese disciples and supporters led by Hu Shih applied the Pragmatic methodology in their scholarly work and accomplished great achievements in academic research, thus forming a powerful Deweyan liberal school in Chinese academic community. During the four great philosophical debates, Dewey's disciples and followers successfully defended and propagated their mentor's thought. Dewey's influence in Chinese education was enormous, manifold, and permanent. The whole Chinese school system was modeled after the American one after 1922. There were altogether ten developments in Chinese education to attest the Deweyan influence. Owing to their weaknesses, the Chinese liberals, though dominating the academic and educational world for quite a long time, failed to bring China toward American liberal democracy and its Pragmatic philosophy