John Dewey in Spain and in Spanish America

Abstract

The first half of the twentieth century saw the peak of the worldwide influence of John Dewey (1859–1952), and by midcentury there was a sharp decline in his influence both at home and abroad. However, during the last two decades there has been a renewed interest in pragmatism in general and in Dewey in particular. Although separate studies have been published on Dewey's influence in a number of countries, only passing mention has been made of Spain and Latin America. This chapter is an effort to begin to fill that gap. The first part is a historical survey of Dewey's influence in Spain and in four Spanish American countries (Chile, Cuba, Mexico, and Argentina), while the second part consists of observations on why the influence occurred, why it attained the levels it finally did before it declined, and what signs indicate a renewed interest in Dewey's work.