The Public and Its Problems · Chapter
I: Search for the Public explained
Dewey argues that the state is not a fixed entity but must be continually rediscovered through an experimental process.
What happens
Dewey argues that the state is not a fixed entity but must be continually rediscovered through an experimental process. He distinguishes the public from the state, defining the public as those affected by the indirect consequences of transactions, and officials as those who care for these interests. The chapter critiques the identification of the community with the state and emphasizes that the formation of states is an ongoing, practical problem requiring intelligence and adaptation.
Themes in this chapter
The Eclipse of the Public
Dewey describes how new publics remain inchoate because inherited political forms obstruct their organization, leading to apathy and disregard for the state.
The State and Government
The chapter defines the state as the organization of the public through officials to protect shared interests, emphasizing its experimental and historical nature.
The Great Society vs. The Great Community
The distinction between the public and the state, and the need for the public to organize itself, prefigures the later argument for transforming the Great Society into a Great Community.
Characters to notice
- John Locke
Listed among influential figures whose impact on community life is not tied to state office.
- Rousseau
Mentioned alongside other thinkers to illustrate the absurdity of claiming all social influence belongs to the state.
- Isaac Newton
Cited as an example of a non-state officer whose work profoundly shaped society.
- Aristotle
Included in the list of historical figures whose contributions transcend political office.
Key passages
“By its very nature, a state is ever something to be scrutinized, investigated, searched for. Almost as soon as its form is stabilized, it needs to be remade.”
The state is inherently provisional; once its structure is fixed, it must be reexamined and reformed.
Highlights Dewey's experimental and dynamic conception of the state.
“The public consists of all those who are affected by the indirect consequences of transactions to such an extent that it is deemed necessary to have those consequences systematically cared for.”
The public is defined as the group of people impacted by the side effects of interactions, requiring organized oversight.
Core definition of the public in Dewey's political theory.
“The formation of states must be an experimental process. The trial process may go on with diverse degrees of blindness and accident... Or it may proceed more intelligently, because guided by knowledge of the conditions which must be fulfilled. But it is still experimental.”
State-building is inherently experimental, whether done blindly or with informed guidance; it always requires ongoing adjustment.
Emphasizes the fallible, adaptive nature of political organization.