Question

According to Dewey, what are the three natural resources that contribute to the training of thought?

Answer 1

The American psychologist and philosopher, John Dewey believed that reflexive thought is a habit that can be developed through education and upbringing. In this context, he mentions the natural resources of thinking which are the psychological factors that are integral to the development of reflective thinking. The three natural resources that contribute to the training of reflective thought are:

1. Curiosty: It is undoubtedly the most important natural resource that contributes to the training of thought. This capacity can be observed in very young children as well. It refers to the desire to question ,investigate, and make sense of events and experiences. Dewey define curiosity as the desire for fullness of experience. He explained that curiosity begins as physical curiosity but later moves on to the social and the intellectual planes.

2. Suggestion : Suggestion reference to the ability to produce new ideas and beliefs from the given subject matter, however inadequate it may seem. Dewey relates the human capacity for issuing suggestions to the spontaneous flow of thoughts in spite of an attempt to deliberately stop thinking. The various dimensions of suggestion are ease, depth, and range of suggestions.

3. Orderliness: The third natural resource that contributes to the training of thought is orderliness. Mere suggestions or facts do not constitute reflective thought. For reflective thought to be complete, these suggestions need to be organised on the basis of the available evidence. Humans possess a natural desire to create order and meaning out of their experiences. This capacity is known as orderliness.