EducationasaNecessityofLife.docx
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EducationasaNecessityofLife.docx
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EducationasaNecessityofLife
EducationasaNecessityofLife
ByJohnDewey
1.RenewalofLifebyTransmission.Themostnotabledistinctionbetweenlivingandinanimatethingsisthattheformermaintainthemselvesbyrenewal.Astonewhenstruckresists.Ifitsresistanceisgreaterthantheforceoftheblowstruck,itremainsoutwardlyunchanged.Otherwise,itisshatteredintosmallerbits.Neverdoesthestoneattempttoreactinsuchawaythatitmaymaintainitselfagainsttheblow,muchlesssoastorendertheblowacontributingfactortoitsowncontinuedaction.Whilethelivingthingmayeasilybecrushedbysuperiorforce,itnonethelesstriestoturntheenergieswhichactuponitintomeansofitsownfurtherexistence.Ifitcannotdoso,itdoesnotjustsplitintosmallerpieces(atleastinthehigherformsoflife),butlosesitsidentityasalivingthing.
Aslongasitendures,itstrugglestousesurroundingenergiesinitsownbehalf.Ituseslight,air,moisture,andthematerialofsoil.Tosaythatitusesthemistosaythatitturnsthemintomeansofitsownconservation.Aslongasitisgrowing,theenergyitexpendsinthusturningtheenvironmenttoaccountismorethancompensatedforbythereturnitgets:
itgrows.Understandingtheword"control"inthissense,itmaybesaidthatalivingbeingisonethatsubjugatesandcontrolsforitsowncontinuedactivitytheenergiesthatwouldotherwiseuseitup.Lifeisaself-renewingprocessthroughactionupontheenvironment.
Inallthehigherformsthisprocesscannotbekeptupindefinitely.Afterawhiletheysuccumb;theydie.Thecreatureisnotequaltothetaskofindefiniteself-renewal.Butcontinuityofthelifeprocessisnotdependentupontheprolongationoftheexistenceofanyoneindividual.Reproductionofotherformsoflifegoesonincontinuoussequence.Andthough,asthegeologicalrecordshows,notmerelyindividualsbutalsospeciesdieout,thelifeprocesscontinuesinincreasinglycomplexforms.Assomespeciesdieout,formsbetteradaptedtoutilizetheobstaclesagainstwhichtheystruggledinvaincomeintobeing.Continuityoflifemeanscontinualreadaptationoftheenvironmenttotheneedsoflivingorganisms.
Wehavebeenspeakingoflifeinitslowestterms--asaphysicalthing.Butweusetheword"Life"todenotethewholerangeofexperience,individualandracial.WhenweseeabookcalledtheLifeofLincolnwedonotexpecttofindwithinitscoversatreatiseonphysiology.Welookforanaccountofsocialantecedents;adescriptionofearlysurroundings,oftheconditionsandoccupationofthefamily;ofthechiefepisodesinthedevelopmentofcharacter;ofsignalstrugglesandachievements;oftheindividual'shopes,tastes,joysandsufferings.Inpreciselysimilarfashionwespeakofthelifeofasavagetribe,oftheAthenianpeople,oftheAmericannation."Life"coverscustoms,institutions,beliefs,victoriesanddefeats,recreationsandoccupations.
Weemploytheword"experience"inthesamepregnantsense.Andtoit,aswellastolifeinthebarephysiologicalsense,theprincipleofcontinuitythroughrenewalapplies.Withtherenewalofphysicalexistencegoes,inthecaseofhumanbeings,therecreationofbeliefs,ideals,hopes,happiness,misery,andpractices.Thecontinuityofanyexperience,throughrenewingofthesocialgroup,isaliteralfact.Education,initsbroadestsense,isthemeansofthissocialcontinuityoflife.Everyoneoftheconstituentelementsofasocialgroup,inamoderncityasinasavagetribe,isbornimmature,helpless,withoutlanguage,beliefs,ideas,orsocialstandards.Eachindividual,eachunitwhoisthecarrierofthelife-experienceofhisgroup,intimepassesaway.Yetthelifeofthegroupgoeson.
Theprimaryineluctablefactsofthebirthanddeathofeachoneoftheconstituentmembersinasocialgroupdeterminethenecessityofeducation.Ononehand,thereisthecontrastbetweentheimmaturityofthenew-bornmembersofthegroup--itsfuturesolerepresentatives--andthematurityoftheadultmemberswhopossesstheknowledgeandcustomsofthegroup.Ontheotherhand,thereisthenecessitythattheseimmaturemembersbenotmerelyphysicallypreservedinadequatenumbers,butthattheybeinitiatedintotheinterests,purposes,information,skill,andpracticesofthematuremembers:
otherwisethegroupwillceaseitscharacteristiclife.Eveninasavagetribe,theachievementsofadultsarefarbeyondwhattheimmaturememberswouldbecapableofiflefttothemselves.Withthegrowthofcivilization,thegapbetweentheoriginalcapacitiesoftheimmatureandthestandardsandcustomsoftheeldersincreases.Merephysicalgrowingup,meremasteryofthebarenecessitiesofsubsistencewillnotsufficetoreproducethelifeofthegroup.Deliberateeffortandthetakingofthoughtfulpain
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