ABSTRACT
This final chapter calls for the reinvigoration of liberal democracy through greater recognition of the value of fairness in redistributing wealth more equitably and of encouraging greater public participation in decision-making. Today, the word wealth is usually associated with money, but its archaic definition was closer to personal and cultural wellness and the pursuit of what Dewey much later termed “the Great Community.” The arts are important critical tools for re-imagining a better world, and Dewey regarded them as equally important to the fostering of the Great Community as he did freedom of inquiry! Much of the remainder of the chapter presents examples of ways music and art education might contribute to social and political renewal. One such way is by helping children and youth learn more about and experience the abundance, richness, and complexity of the music, visual art, dance, food, architecture, or literature in their world and so better prepared to recognize and resist the racism, xenophobia, and misogyny of populist or other leaders who would undermine liberal democracy by fostering a culture of fear founded on ignorance.
