John Dewey and John R. Commons: crossed perspectives on ethics, the state and democracy

This article offers a renewed comparative analysis of John Dewey and John R. Commons—respectively a philosopher and an economist–sociologist—aimed at clarifying the intellectual foundations that pragmatism provides for institutional economics. While the two thinkers evolved in parallel and Commons explicitly drew on Dewey, the depth and structure of their theoretical convergences remain insufficiently explored. Our contribution is to show that both authors share a pragmatist ontology centred on associated action, the transactional nature of social life, and the intrinsic correlation between economic, political, legal, and ethical phenomena. This common ground supports a democratic ethic that informs their respective approaches to social inquiry and social reform. Building on this framework, we provide an original interpretation of how Commons operationalizes Dewey’s normative ideal of creative democracy. His theory of reasonable value and his institutional design for economic democracy translate Dewey’s ethical commitments into concrete mechanisms for regulating capitalism through collective bargaining, representative interests, and inquiry-based rulemaking. The article concludes by raising a central question for contemporary institutionalism: how compatible are Dewey’s radical democratic aspirations with Commons’ reformist ideal of a “reasonable capitalism”?.