International Journal of Social and Educational Innovation (IJSEI) 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. International Journal of Social and Educational Innovation (IJSEI) No.1/ 2014 26 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 International Journal of Social and Educational Innovation (IJSEI) No.1/ 2014 27 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. International Journal of Social and Educational Innovation (IJSEI) No.1/ 2014 28 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]