Send a Quote Enter a brief message. SendOk2 “Children who know how to think for themselves spoil the harmony of the collective society which is coming where everyone is interdependent.” ~ John Dewey (1859-1952) American philosopher, psychologist, professor, and progressive educational reformer.Source: Falsely attributed to Dewey. The quote is from Rosalie Gordon's book 'What Happened to Our Schools?' (1956) where she asserts Dewey's attitude towards progressive education.