Book detail: Human Nature and Conduct is presented as a focused source page for quotations connected with this book, collection, transcript, or source record.
Published in 1922, this book represents John Dewey's extended treatment of ethical theory and the psychology of human action. Dewey argues against the traditional separation of human nature from moral behavior, proposing instead that conduct emerges from the interaction of biological impulses, social habits, and reflective intelligence. The work is structured around three main themes: the place of habit in conduct, the nature of impulse, and the operation of intelligence. Dewey challenges the notion of a fixed human nature, emphasizing that habits are socially formed and that moral deliberation involves the reconstruction of conflicting habits rather than the application of fixed rules. The book reflects Dewey's broader pragmatic philosophy, treating moral inquiry as an empirical problem-solving activity rather than an exercise in abstract reasoning. It engages critically with both intuitionist and utilitarian approaches to ethics, offering an alternative grounded in the continuous adaptation of human organisms to their environments. The text has been influential in philosophy, psychology, and education, contributing to the development of naturalistic approaches to ethics and the understanding of moral development as a social process.
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