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Devil, Deceiver, Dupe: Constructing John Dewey from the Right
Author(s) -
KING KELLEY M.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of philosophy of education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.501
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1467-9752
pISSN - 0309-8249
DOI - 10.1111/1467-9752.12289
Subject(s) - sociology , praxis , construct (python library) , antithesis , philosophy of education , politics , epistemology , order (exchange) , power (physics) , existentialism , the internet , media studies , law , philosophy , higher education , political science , computer science , physics , finance , quantum mechanics , world wide web , economics , programming language
Abstract The far right in the United States has gained international visibility and power by promulgating its ideas using multiple media sources. This paper considers contemporary right‐wing representations of John Dewey as found on English‐language internet websites. The author employs discourse analytic methods to address the questions—‘How is John Dewey constructed in right‐wing internet discourse?’ and ‘By what means has the Right come to construct Dewey in this way?’ Elements of the internet discourse are related to texts that helped shape it. The paper demonstrates that far right‐wing websites construct Dewey and his ideas as the antithesis of American values and as a political and existential threat of the highest order. In this discourse, Dewey is connected to Satan, communism and global conspiracy theories. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of these beliefs for current educational and political philosophy and praxis.