Distinctions Between Soul and Spirit in Dewey's Philosophy: Growth Toward an Aesthetic Ideal in Learning

Abstract The differences between soul and spirit can be quite difficult to understand throughout the works of John Dewey. What are they, how do they differ, and how do they relate to meaningful growth? Drawing from his personal correspondence and an analysis of the work in the later part of his life, Becky Noël Smith and Randy Hewitt conclude that, in reference to growth and flourishing specifically, Dewey's writings contain three nuanced meanings of soul. First, Noël Smith and Hewitt provide a framework for understanding his naturalized conception of soul and spirit. Then, they explore how these can help reframe how we think and talk about learning experience, relationships, and processes. The aim is to recover an inspired view of education, one grounded in a fuller sense of human becoming and rich in democratic and aesthetic dimensions.