John Dewey

Socialization” of some sort--that is, the reflex modification of wants, beliefs and work because of share in a united action--is inevitable.

But it is as marked in the formation of frivolous, dissipated, fanatical, narrow-minded and criminal persons as in that of competent inquirers, learned scholars, creative artists and good neighbors.

Confining our notice to the results which are desirable, it appears that there is no reason for assigning all the values which are generated and maintained by means of human associations to the work of states.

Yet the same unbridled generalizing and fixating tendency of the mind which leads to a monistic fixation of society has extended beyond the hypostatizing of “society” and produced a magnified idealization of The State.

All values which result from any kind of association are habitually imputed by one school of social philosophers to the state.

Revolt against the state is then thought to be the one unforgivable social sin.

The net import of our discussion is that a state is a distinctive and secondary form of association, having a specifiable work to do and specified organs of operation.

When a state is a good state, when the officers of the public genuinely serve the public interests, this reflex effect is of great importance.

In performing these services, it gives the individual members of valued associations greater liberty and security: it relieves them of hampering conditions which if they had to cope with personally would absorb their energies in mere…

It enables individual members to count with reasonable certainty upon what others will do, and thus facilitates mutually helpful coöperations.

It creates respect for others and for one’s self.

If one wishes to realize the distance which may lie between “facts” and the meaning of facts, let one go to the field of social discussion.