A Comparative Study of the Aesthetic ideas of Allameh J’afari and John Dewey: Deriving Implications for Education

The purpose of this study is to compare the educational implications of aesthetics from the viewpoints of Allameh J’afari and Dewey to achieve a deeper understanding of the art and aesthetics and various aspects of aesthetical training. This is a theoretical research, which employs conceptual analysis, training and adaptation. Comparing the views of Ja'fari and Dewey on esthetics, this research tries to identify their educational implications and to distinguish their views in this regard. Regarding this goal, the fundamental question of this research relates to the similarities and differences between the aesthetical educational implications of J’afari and Dewey. The results indicated that both scholars have a common view in asserting the necessity of aesthetic education. In terms of the definition of aesthetic education, they both consider art as including aesthetics, and aesthetical education much broader than artistic education. Dewey considers aesthetic education as a meta-curriculum phenomena in nature, which is different from the prioritization of religious and ethical education in aesthetical education in J’afari's view. Both scholars share the final goal, the promotion of the interests of aesthetic traits, and intermediate goals including the fostering of innovation, creativity, and imagination, but they present different ideas in terms of growth. In the issues relating to instructors, pupils, and curriculum, despite sharing some views, they present quite different views regarding the relationship between man and God, and the origin and destination of the universe. In the issues relating to teaching methodology, both acknowledge considering the intentions and requirements of the pupils and orientation of the methods towards discovery and search. However, in addition to question orientation, J’afari takes into consideration the methods that regards the universe as verses indicating the existence of God.