An American pragmatist and feminist, Hull-House founder Jane Addams (1860-1935) came of age in a period of growing tension and division between segments of American society, a division that became reflected in debates over education reform. In the midst of this diversity, Addams saw the profoundly interdependent nature of all social and political interactions, and aligned his efforts to support, emphasize, and increase this interdependence. Education was one of the ways he relied on to overcome class inequality and to increase interaction between classes. His theories on the interdependent nature of life in a democracy provided the backdrop to his educational theory. Education, she believed, was supposed to produce people capable of living together and learning from each other (Addams 12-36). Jane Addams, a pragmatist and utilitarian, spent her life educating others about social reform and the ethics of care and advocating for women's rights in society. Nearly a century before the onset of “multiculturalism,” Jane Addams advanced her conception of the moral significance of diversity. Every member of a democracy, according to Addams, had a moral obligation to seek out diverse experiences, making a daily effort to engage with the perspectives of others. He believed that morality should be seen as a social rather than individual commitment and that democracy as a way of life rather than simply a basis for laws. Otherwise, both democracy and ethics remain sterile and empty concepts (www.semcoop.com). “The sphere of morality is the sphere of action,” Addams proclaims. It is not enough to passively believe in the innate dignity of every human being. Rather, we must work daily to eradicate racial, gender, class and other prejudices… middle of the paper… t in mine; but this is a goal we should all hope to achieve. And if Addam had pushed for this relationship between the sexes, who knows the leaps that society and women's rights could have achieved. One could hardly argue against this idea of a divine love in society; because there is no downside. Only positive aspects towards a more efficient society. Even though Jane Addam and I do not share the same religious beliefs, we share the same opinion about a woman's unparalleled ability to influence society in a necessary and important way. I believe that without Addam's influence, our society and how we see ourselves both nationally and internationally would be years behind where we are today. I have great appreciation and respect for his work. Because without his pursuit of gender equality, I might not be here writing this article.
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