Progress and the Educational Philosophy: Parallels between Syed Ahmed Khan and John Dewey

Abstract

This paper evaluates Dewey’s conception of progressive education by drawing parallels with Syed Ahmed’s modernist approach to the educational philosophy. Both Dewey and Syed Ahmed are the strong adherents of progress and they believe that sound educative process plays a vital role in the development of a meaningful society, a society where one realizes that one is capable to explore knowledge in various directions which may lead one towards progress. Dewey being a pragmatist believes that progress means respect for an individual, receptivity to change and high regard for science. In Dewey’s view progress can be attained by developing the culture of education. For this reason, he thinks that education is a continuous process of reconstructing one’s experience as it leads to intellectual growth and in turns ensures progress. Dewey’s belief is rooted in instrumentalism and not in the revealed text as conceived by Syed Ahmed. For Dewey ideas having cash value are like instruments resulting out of the consequences of actions. Dewey believes that education is synonymous with progress or growth and the process of growth never ends. It means that the most important factor in the process of education which one needs to understand is one’s ability to adjust with the ever changing society. Dewey is emphasizing upon such an educational system which does not limit one to deal with some specific goals rather enables one to attain progress in a broader perspective in a given situation. Syed Ahmed being a Muslim modernist believes that progress as warranted by Islam, means intellectual growth and ability to adjust in the ever-changing world without deviating from the word of God. He thinks that it is possible only if one has a courage and insight to reinterpret the revealed truth by utilizing one’s faculty of reason to march along the lines of progress. Syed Ahmed believes that true self-esteem consists not in performing rituals but in attaining knowledge of the revealed truth with the help of reason and experience. It reflects Syed Ahmed’s purposive attitude towards knowledge which prepares one to live a life according to that knowledge