Dewey's Notion of Imagination in Philosophy for Children

The imagination has traditionally been associated with unreality and is commonly thought to be the antithesis of reason. This is a notion of imagination that can be found in Plato's writing and has influenced modern Western epistemology and educational ideals. As such, traditional schooling, which has focused on the cultivation of reason and the accumulation of facts, has devalued the imagination and frequently encouraged children to transcend their imaginative natures. In this paper, I draw on the work of John Dewey to explain how imagination is not opposed to thinking. Nor is the imagination a distinct form of thinking. I argue that it is actually integral to all thinking and, as such, is essential for living a meaningful life. I then argue that one of Philosophy for Children's strengths is that its pedagogy and curriculum content are ideal for facilitating this Deweyian ideal of imagination and, thus, reflective thinking and meaningful learning.