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 No.1/ 2014 

 

25 

 

Theory of Knowledge by Experts 

 

 

LEPCALIUC Anamaria  

Stefan cel Mare University Suceava, Romania 

anamarialepcaliuc@yahoo.ca 

 

Received 25.06.2014; Accepted 23.07. 2014 

 

Abstract 

Few thinkers have failed to score with such force of ideas, both education and policy universe 

during the first decades of the twentieth century, as did John Dewey. Hi's instrumentalism was 

considered a pragmatist version of the current version which gives more substance "structure" 

created by the two and has firmly established that traditional philosophical conception that analyze 

the practical effects of beliefs and our actions should be represent the most important concern of 

the human mind. Intelligence has its basis in experience, but not instrumental, in that it was only a 

means that produces, mechanically, a preset goal, it is "an organ imaginative and creative," says 

Dewey, leading to the future and past "has significance for all disciplines who have an intimate 

connection with human behavior: logic, ethics, aesthetics, economy. 

 

Keywords: theory, logistics, traditional philosophical conception, intelligene 

 

1.Introduction  

Few thinkers have failed to score with such force of ideas, both education and policy universe 

during the first decades of the twentieth century, as did John Dewey.  

John Dewey's instrumentalism was considered a pragmatist version of the current version which 

gives more substance "structure" created by the two and has firmly established that traditional 

philosophical conception that analyze the practical effects of beliefs and our actions should be 

represent the most important concern of the human mind.  

 

Intelligence has its basis in experience, but not instrumental, in that it was only a means that 

produces, mechanically, a preset goal, it is "an organ imaginative and creative," says Dewey, 

leading to the future and past "has significance for all disciplines who have an intimate connection 

with human behavior: logic, ethics, aesthetics, economy [...]". The ultimate goal of morally, is 

constantly improving and refining the process of intelligence, "growth", accumulating, continuous 

reconstruction of experience. 

 

Organic connection between the theory of knowledge, ethics and Dewey's conception of society is 

even more visible when American philosopher argues that social institutions should critically 

examine the social function of intelligence, because it is not innate and can not be polished in 

isolation. The development of "skills" democracy must begin at school, namely in the first years of 

the child's educational experience. Dewey does not agree with the idea that the school prepares 

future members of society. It should be seen, rather, as an extension of society, where the child 

operates seamlessly as a full member of the community.  



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John Dewey is considered by specialist reviewers as one of the most important representatives of 

modern American pragmatism, "Dr. Dewey's scientific perspective and his arguments are largely 

derived from a review of the scientific method." He claims that the truth of an idea lies in its 

correspondence with reality, and that the term should be understood otherwise than according to the 

traditional theory of truth correspondence. He believes that for a pragmatist, an idea is consistent 

with reality when it leads to solving a problematic situation, being used successfully in action to 

achieve a certain goal individually.  

 

Dewey addresses the issue of knowledge in a naturalistic manner, considering the development of 

knowledge is a human adaptive response to environmental conditions, the role of this response 

being to intervene actively in the environment and turn. Dewey believes that for an instrumentalist, 

knowledge is not just passive reception of a reality independent of the mind, but is the result of 

investigative activities. Our judgments are tools that serve to explain how to carry our interaction 

with the environment and predict our future experiences. 

 

They operate in situations of life and have implications for our future existence. Judgments are tools 

which work together with the experience in the meaning that they are able to connect to each other 

different experiments (thus making possible the prediction), but are, in turn, screened through 

experience. According to Dewey, judgments should be regarded as resources in the process of 

investigation and should be evaluated according to their effectiveness or ineffectiveness. in the 

value of truth, it is relative to the opportunity to justify their assertion.  

 

To understand clearly what the truth of a judgment in terms of Dewey, it is necessary to specify in 

advance how he thinks the investigation stems that reach the truth. The reason is that, for Dewey, 

inquiry is the means by which we approach the truth, building it all the time. American philosopher 

distinguishes five phases of the investigation, namely indeterminate situation, setting a problem, 

determine the solution of the problem, reasoning and experiment. The investigation stems from a 

problematic situation and consists of "controlled or directed transformation of an indeterminate 

situation into a situation that is so determined in its constituent distinctions and relations that 

converts elements of the original situation into a unified whole" .  

 

2. Some problematic situation concerning Dewey’ problem 

Investigation can turn an indeterminate situation into one determined. The operating conducting the 

investigation deliberate changes on cognitive situation, reaching eventually, build subject 

knowledge, there are no pre-trial investigation, but is the product of this process. Dewey does not 

deny that before the investigation take place, there are events surrounding nature but considers that 

they are not objects of knowledge only when they are investigated. Characteristics of an object of 

knowledge depend on the specific conditions which have been imposed since the beginning of the 

investigation process.  

 

The researcher attempts to solve some problematic situation, devise a specific procedure on which 

is to be conducted the research and make observations and measurements in terms of concepts that 

are available in that phase of development of science. in the process of investigation, indeterminate 

situation from which we started is transformed and the object of knowledge is built. Dewey points 



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out that "according to pragmatism, ideas (judgments and judgments are included for convenience in 

this period) are attitude response to extra-ideal things, extra-mental."  

 

Turning to the first stage of the investigation, the problematic situation, it is characterized by 

Dewey as a situation in which instinctive responses that the body gives the environment no longer 

allow individuals to achieve their goals. Based on these data, he can understand the problem faced 

and may make this hypothetical solutions. The experiment follows according to the requirements 

imposed by the initial difficulty. Success hypothesis to be tested experimentally depends on how 

comprehensive it helps to solve the difficulty identified.  

 

The truth of the hypothesis depends on the consequences that occur when it is implemented where 

consequences of the difficulty of resolving the original, which generated the investigation, the 

hypothesis tested is true (though its truth is accepted provisionally, thanks to useful results obtained 

after checking them). Consequences if not eliminate the difficulty, then it means that the hypothesis 

is false to address. Summarizing, we can say that to be true, a judge must satisfy two conditions: 

first, it must be justified, that is the product of an investigation which was carried out in order to 

solve a given problem; Secondly, it should solve the problem that prompted the formulation of this 

judgment as a possible solution to them.  

 

Dewey rejects foundationalism and position failibilist. He believes that any court accepted as true is 

only provisional status, as long as you can provide a sufficiently coherent understanding of reality, 

so that it can serve as a basis for human action. According to Dewey: "The ability to reach the truth 

and using it is a fundamental problem and a condition of modern life." Owning truth makes life 

easier for us and allows us to act more effectively, which is why it is very important for each of us 

to know the truth and we can use. It is noteworthy that in his later works, Dewey will get to have 

doubts about the possibility of formulating a clear and precise characterization of the truth.  

 

3.Conclusions and sugestions  

In conclusion I would like to mention that one aspect of the pragmatic theory of truth for which 

currently advocates and American pragmatism is the anti-foundationalism, rejecting the idea of the 

existence of unquestionable foundations of theories. And the right time to introduce his comments: 

"Dewey's theory of knowledge has not been processed in a manner to bring into the mainstream of 

Anglo-American epistemology. Today few epistemology appreciate what Dewey's thought can 

contribute to the solution of problems of knowledge launched by other theorists. " 

 

As can be seen, is a project formulated in general terms, which provides a range of information on 

current pragmatic points of interest but whose chances of success are difficult to assess. However, if 

the attempt to formalize a pragmatic theory of truth will be a success and will allow any objections 

which have been brought to this theory, I would say that there are encouraging prospects 

contemporary pragmatist project to be successful.  

 

 

 

 

 



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References: 

 

[1] Dewey, John. (1910). “A Short Catechism Concerning Truth”. In The Influence of Darwin on 

Philosophy and Other Essays, New York, Henry Holt and Company. 

 

[2] Dewey, John. (1938). Logic: The Theory of Inquiry, New York, Holt. 

 

[3] Dewey, John. (1910). “The Significance of the Problem of Knowledge”. In The Influence of 

Darwin on Philosophy and Other Essays, New York, Henry Holt and Company.  

 

[4] Glock, Hans-Johann. (2003). “Logical Pragmatism in Quine and Davidson on Language”. In 

Thought and Reality, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2003. 

 

[5] Gouinlock, James; Dewey, John. (1998). The Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, London 

and New York, Routledge, 1998.  

 

[6] Haack, Susan, “Pragmatism”. (2000). In Jonathan Dancy and Ernest Sosa (eds.), Dictionary of 

Philosophy Knowledge, vol. II Bucharest: Three, 2000  

 

[7] Haack,  Susan, “Two Theories of Truth: The Relation Between the Theories of John Dewey and 

Bertrand Russell” in The Journal of Philosophy. Website http://www.journalofphilosophy.org/ 

[accesed 12.05.2014] 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


