Reconstruction in Philosophy · John Dewey
CHAPTER PAGE
I CHANGING CONCEPTIONS OF PHILOSOPHY 1 Origin of philosophy in desire and imagination. Influence of community traditions and authority. Simultaneous development of matter-of-fact knowledge. Incongruity and conflict of the two types. Respective values of each type.... Classic philosophies (i) compensatory, (ii) dialectically formal, and (iii) concerned with "superior" Reality. Contemporary thinking accepts primacy of matter-of-fact knowledge and assigns to philosophy a social function rather than that of absolute knowledge. II SOME HISTORICAL FACTORS IN PHILOSOPHICAL RECONSTRUCTION 28 Francis Bacon exemplifies the newer spirit.... He conceived knowledge as power. As dependent upon organized cooperative research.... As tested by promotion of social progress. The new thought reflected actual social changes, industrial, political, religious.... The new idealism. III THE SCIENTIFIC FACTOR IN RECONSTRUCTION OF PHILOSOPHY 53 Science has revolutionized our conception of Nature. Philosophy has to be transformed because no longer depending upon a science which accepts a closed, finite world. Or, fixed species. Or, superiority or rest to change and motion. Contrast of feudal with democratic conceptions. Elimination of final causes. Mechanical science and the possibility of control of nature. Respect for matter. New temper of imagination. Influence thus far technical rather than human and moral. IV CHANGED CONCEPTIONS OF EXPERIENCE AND REASON 77 Traditional conception of nature of experience. Limits of ancient civilization. Effect of classic idea on modern empiricism. Why a different conception is now possible. Psychological change emphasizes vital factor using environment. Effect upon traditional ideas of sensation and knowledge. Factor of organization. Socially, experience is now more inventive and regulative.... Corresponding change in idea of Reason. Intelligence is hypothetical and inventive. Weakness of historic Rationalism. Kantianism. Contrast of German and British philosophies. Reconstruction of empirical liberalism.
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