This is going to be the first of a few lectures on John Dewey..I am sure. He is a revelation to me. Let me tell you...as a young philosophy student preparing for graduation my professor gave me among others Peirce to read.
He should have given me Dewey....or maybe he was right and is it me, here and now after lecturing on 60 philosophers who says he should have. To be honest and in respect for my professor..I think he did the right thing...(^_^)
So Dewey was not on my list. I also graduated in educational theory and I know him from those courses, but only as someone who had interesting ideas about education.
And now I am introduced to John Dewey.....and after reading and reading I get more and more excited about his ideas. He really is a kind of turning-point between the "old" and new philosophy to me. What I mean with "old" is the classic British way of formulating empiricism.
With Peirce and James we already saw a completely new approach to empiricism and metaphysics. Dewey really is brilliant in his way to make it all clear. I am really excited about this.....it is as a kind of discovery..a kind of ..cheez if I had known this then...
Dewey was a good, but not a brilliant student. Just imagine, that he had to borrow $500 --mind you it was1881 so a fortune..- from an aunt to go to university. At the John Hopkins University he had the luck to meet just the right people and professors. One was Peirce..
An other was G.S. Morris, whose philosophical outlook had been shaped by Hegel and the idealism so much in vogue on the Continent and in England.
Let me bring back to memory a few things we already know. The empiricists said that all we know is by sensory experience. These sensory experiences were generated by an external world independent of the mind.
Kant said, no that is not the whole story. The mind itself contains knowledge that makes it possible to understand our flux of sensory impressions. It is the mind that shapes reality. The object as such (Ding an sich) we will never know.
Hegel pulled the throttle much further. In his idea nature realizes itself in our mind. It is the mind,that is the ultimate reality. And in this mind there is a constant process of development...you see one thing....you observe the opposite and both resolve in a synthesis. So reality (in the mind) is a constant, as he called it, a dialectic process.
And then there is Darwin. For those who attended last class, you may recall that Stanley questioned the relation between William James' his ideas and Darwin. He restricted Darwin's theories strictly to biology. I didnt agree with him on this.
And Dewey will convince him that the impact of Darwin on philosophy was much greater and absolutely not restricted to biology, than you ever would believe. It was massive.
Just put all ideas together with which Dewey was confronted. Philosophically he learned from Hegel that knowing reality was not a static thing but a permanent dialectic process of thesis - antithesis - synthesis.
Dewey was like William James psychologist and physiologist too and then there is Darwin. He proofs that the organism isnt a static object but an organism in constant development through evolution, a permanet process of adaptation and survival.
And finally we have the classic British empiricists, who claim that the mind collects static images, sensory data and then processes these to get to knowledge.
My friends, I hit on a philosophical goldmine, which I didnt give any attention, when I was a student. Philosophy is also sensitive for trends and in the early twenties of the 20th century Dewey's ideas moved to the background, overshadowed by logical positivism and analytical philosophy. I studied those, bt my professor must have had an intuition about my philosophicalinclinations.
There is a renewed interest in John Dewey's ideas especially in present day philosophy of science and I promiss you I gonna show you all this in the next lecture, but I guess next lectures.
Intro
[13:13] Herman Bergson: Well...it is time to begin...but first the fun part...
[13:13] Alarice Beaumont looking curious
[13:13] Herman Bergson: I have been thinking about how to organize our discussions...
[13:14] Herman Bergson: thing is..this is a class..not something like thePhilosophy House....
[13:14] Herman Bergson: a nice place for free debate...
[13:14] Herman Bergson: so our discussions have to stay focused on the issue...
[13:15] Herman Bergson: and we shouldnt be talking all at the same time..:-)
[13:15] Gemma Cleanslate: Herman i am so glad you are saying this again but think you need to send a special notecard with it all
[13:15] Gemma Cleanslate: those not here will not get it again!!
[13:15] Gemma Cleanslate: and will begin at the next class
[13:15] Laila Schuman: nods
[13:16] Gemma Cleanslate: over and over you have tried to enforce this
[13:16] Herman Bergson: You are right Gemma..but I will repeat this when class begins more often now..:-)
[13:16] Gemma Cleanslate: ok
[13:16] Gemma Cleanslate: but a notecard to EACH would be good too
[13:16] Herman Bergson: now..this is an experiment.....
[13:16] Herman Bergson: get ready...
[13:17] Herman Bergson: first thing you have to do is to keep your Shift key pressed...
[13:17] Herman Bergson: ready?
[13:17] Alarice Beaumont: yep
[13:18] Herman Bergson: ok..now press your LEFT arrow key..Ganymede is excluded..I am sorry
[13:18] Annabelle Laminsk: ~~^.^ L. O. L. ^.^~~
[13:18] Gemma Cleanslate: ahha!!!!!
[13:18] Alarice Beaumont: mmhh.. doesn't work for germans LOL
[13:18] Gemma Cleanslate: great!!!!!!!!
[13:18] Gemma Cleanslate: put that in the notecard too!!
[13:18] Gemma Cleanslate: lololol
[13:18] Herman Bergson: LOL
[13:18] Gemma Cleanslate: just like grammer schoool
[13:19] Alarice Beaumont: hihi...i have to take the ao off!
[13:19] Gemma Cleanslate: lol
[13:19] Gemma Cleanslate: love it
[13:19] Alarice Beaumont: lol
[13:19] Gudrun Odriscoll: does it work for macs
[13:19] Gemma Cleanslate: how so i stop?
[13:19] Gemma Cleanslate: lol
[13:19] Herman Bergson: Yes it does..I have a Mac myself Gudrun
[13:19] Gemma Cleanslate: my broken shoulder!!!
[13:19] Herman Bergson: awww...gemma....I am sorry
[13:19] Alarice Beaumont: lol arm doesn't go down anymore!
[13:19] Alarice Beaumont: hahahaha
[13:19] Gemma Cleanslate: lololol
[13:19] Laila Schuman: not working for me
[13:19] Ganymede Blackburn: Doesn't matter that I can't do that. I'm not a very talkative bird anyway. :)
[13:20] Qwark Allen: need help g?
[13:20] Herman Bergson: no...to lower your arm..press the RIGHT arrow key
[13:20] Alarice Beaumont: lol
[13:20] Gudrun Odriscoll: what is it supposed to do? i pressend shift and left arrow (says home)
[13:20] Gemma Cleanslate: lol
[13:20] Gemma Cleanslate: it did not work
[13:20] Ganymede Blackburn: I generally wait with my comments untill the others fall silent.
[13:20] Gemma Cleanslate: lol
[13:20] Alarice Beaumont: lol
[13:20] Osrum Sands: click out of chat first
[13:20] Ze Novikov: lol
[13:20] Alarice Beaumont: yes!
[13:21] Qwark Allen: i have a question?
[13:21] Herman Bergson: lol..indeed Osrum
[13:21] Gudrun Odriscoll: I am stuck in typing, I fear
[13:21] Gemma Cleanslate: ok better that time
[13:21] Qwark Allen: i got my hand in the air
[13:21] Herman Bergson: Yes Qwark...
[13:21] Osrum Sands: Herman I must admit this is very Deweyish
[13:21] Gemma Cleanslate: how very right you are!!!
[13:21] Gudrun Odriscoll: devellish?
[13:21] Gemma Cleanslate: dewey
[13:21] Gemma Cleanslate: elementary ed
[13:22] Gemma Cleanslate: :-)
[13:22] Herman Bergson: lol
[13:22] Herman Bergson: Hercules..get a seat..:-)
[13:22] Gemma Cleanslate: hi Rodney
[13:22] Herman Bergson: right click a Sit here object
[13:22] Hercules Zerbino: ok
[13:23] Herman Bergson: Rodney?? Where..:??
[13:23] Herman Bergson: Well what do you think..?
[13:24] Herman Bergson: My idea is like this...
[13:24] Alarice Beaumont: let's see how it works LOL
[13:25] Gemma Cleanslate: well he was outside
[13:25] Gemma Cleanslate: i saw him
[13:25] Herman Bergson: I dont think that you should raise your arm because you have a question or remark and I allow you to talk...
[13:25] Herman Bergson: Hey Rodney...have a seat
[13:25] AristotleVon Doobie: the Rod man
[13:25] Rodney Handrick: thanks
[13:25] Herman Bergson: So far our discussions were quit good.
[13:25] Rodney Handrick: Hi Ari
[13:27] Rodney Handrick: Hi Herman
[13:27] Herman Bergson: But when the discussion becomes chaotic because two or three persons have their discussion simultaniously you should raise your hand (in protest)..lol
[13:27] Herman Bergson: like my gesture...
[13:27] Herman Bergson: ________________
[13:27] Herman Bergson:
[13:27] Herman Bergson: ** Silence plz ***
[13:27] Herman Bergson: ________________
[13:27] Gemma Cleanslate: oh great!!!!!!
[13:27] Gemma Cleanslate: better
[13:27] Herman Bergson: doesnt work either..lol
[13:28] Gemma Cleanslate: lovely
[13:28] Gemma Cleanslate: add a sound
[13:28] Gemma Cleanslate: like a boing
[13:28] Herman Bergson: but with these raised hands everyone can conclude..let's stop
[13:28] Rodney Handrick: a boing?
[13:28] Gemma Cleanslate: that is a boing
[13:29] Qwark Allen: lol
[13:29] Herman Bergson: Well..the fun is ..you have a gesture and I can give feedback on that..:-)
[13:29] Gemma Cleanslate: BEAUTIFUL!!
[13:29] Herman Bergson: and others can see this ..
[13:29] Alarice Beaumont laughs
[13:30] Alarice Beaumont: what a sound!
[13:30] Annabelle Laminsk: Is it just me or are we being attacked by butterflies?
[13:30] Cailleach Shan: Hey , sorry I'm late Herman.
[13:30] Herman Bergson: no Annabelle the butterflies are my fun..:-)
[13:30] Annabelle Laminsk nods.
[13:31] Herman Bergson: Ok..Cailleach ..you missed the fun...
[13:31] Herman Bergson: let's test it on her..
[13:31] Cailleach Shan: What!!! I'm not a lab rat.
[13:31] Herman Bergson: Cailleach....keep your shift key pressed...this is not a joke..lol
[13:31] Gemma Cleanslate: we can show her
[13:31] Gemma Cleanslate: we are
[13:31] Gemma Cleanslate: how come i am the only one??
[13:32] Alarice Beaumont: lol
[13:32] Herman Bergson: ok..now press the LEFT arrow key
[13:32] Cailleach Shan: Hahahahaha.....
[13:32] Herman Bergson: lol
[13:32] Herman Bergson: press the RIGHT arrow key to lower your hand
[13:33] Cailleach Shan: How do I put it down again.
[13:33] Qwark Allen: i vote
[13:33] Gemma Cleanslate: it also uncrosses one's legs lol
[13:33] Qwark Allen: :-D
[13:33] Ganymede Blackburn: okay, what if I istead of raising a hand (of which I am in short supply)...
[13:33] Alarice Beaumont: lol sports during class ::-)
[13:33] Herman Bergson: So..Shift +Left arrow and Shift + RIGHT arrow...:-)
[13:33] Cailleach Shan: You could raise a feather Gany
[13:34] Ganymede Blackburn: ...raise a beak, like this?
[13:34] Herman Bergson: I'll give you one minute to pratice..lol
[13:34] Ganymede Blackburn: Or how about this?
[13:34] Gemma Cleanslate: how about tipping your hat Gany
[13:34] Herman Bergson: well done Rodney
[13:34] Gemma Cleanslate: lol
[13:34] Gemma Cleanslate: that will do it
[13:34] Rodney Handrick: why thank you
[13:35] Gemma Cleanslate: Mr Dewey would be thrilled with this class
[13:35] Rodney Handrick: now all I have to do is remember the commands
[13:35] Herman Bergson: yes Rodney..:-)
[13:35] Herman Bergson: lol..this is FUN
[13:35] Gemma Cleanslate: we needed this break
[13:35] Qwark Allen: hi rodney!!!
[13:35] Ganymede Blackburn: Neck
[13:36] Ganymede Blackburn: EXTEND!
[13:36] Herman Bergson: Rodney ..youhave a question?
[13:36] Rodney Handrick: may I go to the bathroom
[13:36] Ganymede Blackburn: this should do nicely.
[13:36] Annabelle Laminsk: LOL!
[13:36] Gemma Cleanslate: and so did you
[13:36] Cailleach Shan: Hahahahahah....... NO!
[13:37] Herman Bergson: Well...I can tell you that my lecture is as special as the way I changed the scripts on the seats
[13:37] Rodney Handrick: Hi Qwark
[13:37] Cailleach Shan: You mean I am sitting on a script!!! Yikes.
[13:38] Herman Bergson: yes Cailleach, but it give you control..:-)
[13:39] Herman Bergson: Ok..John Dewey....also a man of educational reform..:-)
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The Discussion
[13:50] Ze Novikov: heehee
[13:50] Gemma Cleanslate: oh good
[13:50] Gemma Cleanslate: i like these that take more than one lecture
[13:50] Ze Novikov: yes i do too
[13:51] Gemma Cleanslate: can read and digest
[13:51] Herman Bergson: Dewey will Gemma, definitely
[13:51] Gudrun Odriscoll: you've got a passion for Dewey, and that is great
[13:51] Herman Bergson: Ye Gudrun...I hit an oilwell..:-)
[13:52] Herman Bergson: The way he formulates the ideas of pragmatism and how he applies then to epistemology and logic...really...!!!!
[13:52] Gudrun Odriscoll: look forward to more and also to get more to know about his followers
[13:53] Herman Bergson: To be honest....
[13:53] Herman Bergson: I used this lecture to express my enthousiasm on the one hand but also to gain some time to do some more reading..:-)
[13:53] Gemma Cleanslate: lololol
[13:53] Gemma Cleanslate: i thought so
[13:53] Gudrun Odriscoll: great
[13:54] Jeb Larkham: nice seat
[13:54] Herman Bergson: So this is just an introduction to a theme..
[13:55] Herman Bergson: and you have an easy class today too..:-)
[13:55] Gemma Cleanslate: AND YOU TOO
[13:55] Gemma Cleanslate: :-)
[13:55] Ze Novikov: lol
[13:55] Gemma Cleanslate: lol
[13:55] Gemma Cleanslate: 'no debates
[13:55] Herman Bergson: RIGHT Gemma..:-)
[13:55] Rodney Handrick: lol
[13:56] Cailleach Shan: Herman, Can you tell me what you meant by "What I mean with "old" is the classic British way of formulating empiricism."
[13:56] Qwark Allen: ::::::::: * E * X * C * E * L * L * E * N * T * ::::::::::
[13:56] Gudrun Odriscoll: instructions about how to conduct a debate?
[13:56] Gudrun Odriscoll: right arm and so
[13:56] Herman Bergson: Yes Cailleach...
[13:57] Herman Bergson: empiricism is about sensory data and the mind that creates relations between these data
[[13:58] Herman Bergson: The pragmatists saw the empirical input as a flux...
[13:59] Herman Bergson: next lecture you'll learn what the difference is between this 'old' idea and the pragmatic approach
[13:59] Cailleach Shan: OK ta. Sorry, my 'hand's up' script doesn't seem to be working now.
[14:00] Herman Bergson: well..the animation is of a low priority level..so any AO surpresses it
[14:00] Gemma Cleanslate: :-)
[14:00] Osrum Sands: make sure you click out of chat
[14:01] Herman Bergson: Ah good remark Osrum..
[14:01] Gemma Cleanslate: yes
[14:01] Cailleach Shan: Ah. That's what it was..... Thnx Os.
[14:01] Gemma Cleanslate: have to click on the wall or something
[14:01] Osrum Sands: :)
[14:01] Gemma Cleanslate: b4 you try it
[14:02] Gemma Cleanslate: i think that is why i could not get out of it
[14:02] Herman Bergson: Maybe I should put the rules on the wall..:-)
[14:02] Annabelle Laminsk: :D
[14:02] Gemma Cleanslate: I think they can go in that wonderful notecard you are going to send!!!!!
[14:02] Gemma Cleanslate: to everyone
[14:02] Gemma Cleanslate: and then on the wall
[14:02] Gemma Cleanslate: :-))
[14:03] Herman Bergson: Well, my friends..get ready for a few lectures on Dewey....
[14:03] Herman Bergson: He really is a brilliant turning-point in history
[14:03] Annabelle Laminsk: This might be stupid but is he the same Dewey that came up with the Dewey decimal system that they use in libraries?
[14:03] Gemma Cleanslate: and what number is he??
[14:03] Gemma Cleanslate: 57?
[14:03] Herman Bergson: 62
[14:03] Samuel Okelly: 62 i think
[14:03] Gemma Cleanslate: oh my
[14:04] Gemma Cleanslate: ty
[14:04] Ganymede Blackburn: Yes, Annabelle.
[14:04] Alarice Beaumont: yes ... we are good!
[14:04] Herman Bergson: I dont know Annabelle..lol
[14:04] Herman Bergson: might be true
[14:04] Cailleach Shan: That was Melvil Dewey in 1876
[14:04] Annabelle Laminsk: Yay! I knew something besides cookie knowledge!
[14:04] Annabelle Laminsk: Oh
[14:04] Annabelle Laminsk goes back to cookies.
[14:04] Herman Bergson: wow Cailleach..you were a librarian?
[14:04] Cailleach Shan: lol Good old Wiki...
[14:05] Gemma Cleanslate: :-)
[14:05] Herman Bergson: cooooool
[14:05] Cailleach Shan: lol Nope... just good with a split screen.
[14:05] Gemma Cleanslate: i am a library assistant
[14:05] Gemma Cleanslate: lololol
[14:05] Alarice Beaumont: hahaha cal :-)
[14:05] Qwark Allen: lol
[14:05] Gudrun Odriscoll: I love to sit in libraries
[14:05] Herman Bergson: then you should have know Gemma..!!!
[14:05] Gemma Cleanslate: yes
[14:05] Gemma Cleanslate: lol
[14:06] Herman Bergson: Just one question...
[14:06] Herman Bergson: about this decimal system Annabelle is refering to...
[14:06] Gemma Cleanslate: yes
[14:06] Gemma Cleanslate: still used
[14:06] Gemma Cleanslate: but added to
[14:06] Gemma Cleanslate: i did
[14:07] Herman Bergson: Is it the system of using a sequence like 1.0...1.1...1.2.....1.2.1...and so on?
[14:07] Gemma Cleanslate: exactly
[14:07] Herman Bergson: WOW
[14:07] Alarice Beaumont: sorry i have to go :-( bye everybody
[14:07] AristotleVon Doobie: bye Alarice
[14:07] Gemma Cleanslate: 000.and on
[14:07] Herman Bergson: does anyone of you know who used that in philosophy?
[14:07] Gemma Cleanslate: bye alarice
[14:07] Cailleach Shan: See you Alarice
[14:07] Gudrun Odriscoll: bye alarice
[14:07] Rodney Handrick: bye alarice
[14:08] Herman Bergson: Anyone?
[14:08] Qwark Allen: bye
[14:08] Gemma Cleanslate: never knew that
[14:08] Herman Bergson: It was Wittgenstein himself in his famous Tractatus logico-philosophicus!!!!!!!
[14:08] Gemma Cleanslate: ah
[14:09] Rodney Handrick: used what...the numbering system?
[14:09] Herman Bergson: Everyone thinks it was his invention....!!!
[14:09] Herman Bergson: yes Rodney
[14:09] Herman Bergson: Rodney?
[14:09] Rodney Handrick: thinking
[14:10] Herman Bergson: this really is interesting..:-)
[14:10] Gemma Cleanslate: when was that Herman??
[14:10] Herman Bergson: Annabelle..great observation!
[14:10] Gemma Cleanslate: Wittgenstein
[14:10] Rodney Handrick: Wow...I wasn't thinking of him
[14:10] Herman Bergson: Wittgenstein...1916 or so
[14:11] Gemma Cleanslate: well
[14:11] Gemma Cleanslate: late
[14:11] Qwark Allen: i got to go to
[14:11] Qwark Allen: see u sunday night
[14:11] Qwark Allen: ,-D
[14:11] AristotleVon Doobie: bye Qwark
[14:11] Gemma Cleanslate: dewey 1876
[14:11] Gudrun Odriscoll: bye quark
[14:11] Samuel Okelly: tc Q
[14:11] Rodney Handrick: bye Qwark
[14:11] Herman Bergson: yes...the numbering system was invented by someone else..:-)
[14:11] Gemma Cleanslate: yes time
[14:12] Herman Bergson: ok Gemma...be well..:-)
[14:12] Ze Novikov: bye
[14:12] Gemma Cleanslate: ty
[14:12] Rodney Handrick: bye Gemma
[14:12] Herman Bergson: well...today was really a fun class...:-)
[14:13] Herman Bergson: and Annabelle's question revealed a historic fact..:-)
[14:13] Rodney Handrick: yes it was
[14:13] Herman Bergson: with the fast wiki of Cailleach
[14:13] Herman Bergson: really...I love this
[14:14] Cailleach Shan: Hahahaha.... I need all the help I can get with this class.
[14:14] Herman Bergson: We can go on, but formally ....class dismissed..:-)
[14:14] Annabelle Laminsk: I have to go read about your different people before Sunday, so, I am off. :D
[14:14] Ze Novikov: bye bye eveyone
[14:14] Gudrun Odriscoll: bye guys, thanks herman, hope to see you next time. I am off
[14:14] Rodney Handrick: bye ZE
[14:14] Herman Bergson: good luck Annabelle..:-)
[14:14] Samuel Okelly: thank you herman :) i am looking forward to the coming Dewey lectures
[14:14] Cailleach Shan: Go well.
[14:15] AristotleVon Doobie: excuse me kind folks but RL is tugging at my sleave
[14:15] Laila Schuman: be well all...
[14:15] Laila Schuman: baiee
[14:15] AristotleVon Doobie: good bye all
[14:15] Rodney Handrick: bye Ari
[14:15] Herman Bergson: Ok Aristole you are excused..:-)
[14:15] Osrum Sands: Cheers Aris
[14:15] Samuel Okelly: tc every1 :)
[14:15] Annabelle Laminsk: It was lovely to see you again Herman, look forward to seeing you on Sunday and learning more about Dewey.
[14:15] Herman Bergson: ok Annabelle
[14:16] Cailleach Shan: Thanks Herman. Bye all.
[14:16] Tiara Calvert: have a wonderful day/evening everyone
[14:16] Rodney Handrick: yes...thanks Herman
[14:16] Osrum Sands: Cheers Herman ... off to that other great game ... the stock market
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