Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education

In this chapter, Dewey examines experience as a two-sided phenomenon comprised of both active and passive phases –“doing or trying with something which is undergone in consequence” (116). He asserts that separating the active from the passive phase actually “destroys the vital meaning of an experience” (116). As with other topics, Dewey prefers the holistic approach to compartmentalizing or dualism. It is thinking that links the active and passive phases i.e., “what is done and its consequences” (116). In turn, thinking comprises multiple steps ranging from evaluating and observing the problem to suggesting a conclusion. “Experience and Thinking” comprises two sections.

1. The Nature of Experience

Dewey begins by highlighting two key phases of what an experience is. The active phase is “trying,” whereas the passive counterpart is “undergoing” (107). A person acts upon something as part of experiencing it, which is active. That something, in turn, leads to certain consequences, which are passive. Acting alone is not enough to constitute experience—the “undergoing of consequences” is necessary to make the event attain significance (107). For example, sticking a finger into the flame without learning the consequences of this action is not an experience but a physical change.