John Dewey: Universalism/Contextualism - Professor Hickman

Universalism/Contextualism

Response from Professor Larry A. Hickman, Southern Illinois University

"Habits of speech, including syntax and vocabulary, and modes of interpretation have been formed in the face of inclusive and defining situations of context ... We are not explicitly aware of the role of context just because our every utterance is so saturated with it that it forms the significance of what we say and hear ... Now thought lives, moves, and has its being in and through symbols, and, therefore, depends for meaning upon context as do the symbols ... I should venture to assert that the most pervasive fallacy of philosophic thinking goes back to neglect of context." (John Dewey)

Source: Reconstructing Dewey Today
Dewey-Center Köln
http://www.hf.uni-koeln.de/dewey/30527

Category:

Education

Tags:

• john
• dewey
• universalism
• contextualism
• pragmatism
• neo-pragmatism
• philosophy
• Larry
• A.
• Hickman

[VVillowz]

@ManchuDan22 And your *questions* were very legitimate.

[VVillowz]

@ManchuDan22 Yeah

[ManchuDan22]

@VVillowz Well, that's about what I expected, no answers to my questions, and a response straight out of 3rd Grade. Goodbye.

[VVillowz]

@ManchuDan22 Obviously YOU have no idea what you are talking about.

[ManchuDan22]

@VVillowz So "Aristotelian principles" are a bad thing? You need to be a lot clearer. Are you defending Dewey and progressive education, or are you smarter than that?

"regurgitated"?? Aristotelian Philosophy is vomit? Or have just been repeated due to their value? Since I'm pretty sure you have NO IDEA what you're talking about, if you have a point (no matter how vague it may be), try and make it.

[VVillowz]

@ManchuDan22 You go on with Aristotelian principles that have been regurgitated over 2000+ years.

[ManchuDan22]

@Hegelmaus81 Really? How many Graduate Degrees do you have? How long have you been a High School Teacher? How many teenage students have you had that come to you that can't do 4th grade math or read at a 6th grade level?

YOU are the reason US Public ED is the laughing stock of the developed world. Unless you are a student or parent, then it is absolutely a crying shame.

You are beyond ignorant, you are criminally STUPID! So keep your uninformed, biased, meaningless opinions to yourself!

[rikmac78]

So how do you teach a child the difference between a dog and a cat without context?

As a teacher you should know this from education classes. Once you get beyond teaching the basics of literacy and arithmetic, context does indeed matter!

A chair is something you sit on, but you can sit on the floor or on a table! Have a child describe a chair. Any legs? Armrests? Wheels? Footrest? Head support? It's not so easy!

[ManchuDan22]

What utter psycho-babble BS!

"There is no Knowledge, it's all contextual". What a perfect example of why Dewey and his fellow fools have ruined US Public Education!

"what is a door? What is open? What is closed?' MY GOD, what complete stupidity!!

As these fools ponder the lint in their navels, we teachers are trying to teach literacy and arithmetic.

OH, but wait!! no reason to learn all the useless knowledge, it's ALL just contextual!!!