The Eclipse of the Public

Where it surfaces

• The Public and Its Problems

  Dewey argues that the public has become obscured by the complexity of modern society and the dominance of private interests.

• I: Search for the Public

  Dewey describes how new publics remain inchoate because inherited political forms obstruct their organization, leading to apathy and disregard for the state.

• Discovery of the State

  Dewey's discussion of how the public is unorganized and formless until articulated through officials, and the risk that officials may turn powers to private account, relates to the theme of the public's potential eclipse by corrupt or self-interested government.

• III: The Democratic State

  The chapter addresses the primary problem of the public: achieving recognition and organization to give it weight in selecting officials and defining responsibilities.

• IV: The Eclipse of the Public

  Central theme: the public is lost, bewildered, and uncertain of its own existence due to the scale and complexity of modern society.

• VI: The Problem of Method

  The chapter frames the public's self-discovery as the key problem, with method and intellectual obstacles contributing to its eclipse.