The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-29

a,." said Prof John Dewey Mt a re-
~, meeting ~ the department of kinder
80, education, Teachers College Alumni
C.t.,.nce There ls reasoning In little
,md,sn lust az there may be In n grown up
W ar woman. but there Is not reasoning
~ s,rly childhood II you mean by that
y, .onethlng which a. reasoning can
;. marked of definitely from somewhere
use" 81, ,,.. ,.
"a In part as follows
- rave come to believe that reasoning
AL, the capacity or ability to reason
w. that bundle ~ minor abilities OF which
,.,soniug consistsb, II not capable OF
A.lns Improved with growing, or at least
-. Improvement is not sufficiently marked
:. lie worth mentioning. Prof. James
|, hls psychology speaAs In this way OF
,,rarlc memory--the power to retain
i,.,- Investigations have led 10 come
,~ose,ation Of his statement, but II is
,.nsreHy admitted that the power 70 i'm
60 radical or fundamental memory Is
.rsh. Unfortunately however. the con-
,.9se statement IL not true. Retrogres-
10, Is entirely possible with both mem
o,v and reasoning. There is something
a. educators 10 do even II they cannot
fundamentally Improve the power Of rea.
.,nx: their task Is 10 furnish conditions
mat tnlE ioNtT van ne kept tDReIIeT
rthout a falling on 81 Us pristine ca
,sr,,y. This Is not Il negative task. al
.Aoush Il Is here stated In negative terms
-bs probl.m is to prevent tho falling OF
~ going backward, but accomplishing
hs prevention requires great deal OF
.o.itiye activity in keeping the ability up
70 concert pitch.
since the power ~ reasoning In little
Children does not differ fundamentally
~
rand Il IN children we must study IL IN
ourselves There are NJ course differences
n ne concrete thoughts OF children and
Aicts ard these are differences In SUBJ
ia,t matter. These reduce 10 two heads
covering 4 variety OF detail.
"ID There are different objects to
think shou; amt different purposes for
which 70 think because children and
r-ovrrrs have different kinds OF acts
10 4-,orr'--differert lines OF occupation.
r. short The adult has obviously more
complicated activities To carry on he has
concerns that continue over longer
r-s,rhes ~ time so that more details
,,.s- IN and results are postponed. Hence
:. must BE- continually looking far ahead.
TIE process ~ thinking II essentially the
,ars 'or little children but there is such
. tl~srerce in the materials with which
N. thinking ~ donc and the ends or OBJ
hist the impression 10 easily created that
he ,h'nsing itself Is OF IL radically dif-
serh order
'C9 There Is another difference be-
.v.sr children and adults. The objects
ard ends Of adults. because long contin-
uel have Il definitely established char
sc.r- having more specialized organi-
nta The absence Of n high degree OF
sp.,Ayaiion in vocat'on and In psrticu-
H.. 40
,g,ity for freer and more flexible play.
q creator open mindednoss and greater
,.stp, til.ty to new ideas than the aver
ier adult succeeds IN retaining.
The process Of thinking has been Of
ten explained. There are Just three el--
men,s O. constant conditions 90 The
end to he reached. i2) The selection OF
IRE means nv which 10 arrive at It. 90
| ne poss hilitv OF new discoveries in work.
'Is toward The end.
"lp II there Is an end ahesd ~ be
reached Their. must BE- a forward move
ntnt. . o-r,aln span OF timc between the
person and the object to be attained. II
. srlAcan' hat all OF the words like
attaining" and achieving have the idea
! ~ q forward movement and imply q GER
tain distance between ourselves and
Something little way ahead Of US In
t~s
IL.
sA.al TIA. We want 20 attain there must
y a s.ieoiiG. and arranging OF various
mars a.d materials which will enable Us
70 ',aal 'rlt end. These words select
'sE sr1 arranging have q mechanical
scurG l. We had box up cut up pieces
y sood and AL w. had 10 do WAS to PICK
o.! SON. 20; these and put them together.
ia operation would be mechanical; but
IL NHklas, THIS selecting and arranging
~. done f1c the sake OF reaching an end
-sonotslag anead Of us something which
" awe not blj are trying "a get. Hence
t,y cannot be OF such a mechanical char
49, as 'hs words indicate. In other
vo'is, this selecting ard arranging always
more something % experiment relative
70 al element OF uncertainty. and twhat
q more importantly to the nsed and pos
aoa,y ~ discovery.
-, The selecting and arranging OF
nsars ara materials, " there IN an END
q al - by the very nature or the case
tentative process as much process OF
| 1,rr.lrrrt ANA discovery ss tho operation
o. sceHy'ic man In HIS laboratory 1t
hs1t appear 20 any one VINO entered
tarE.s'- laboratory that he selected
ff,l Oh: ta-s and a pinch Of that and
nAsl i-rm '0gethsr much as COOK IN
y. k'.-,a selects salt and milk and nour
~ beats them together. The latter may
y roI,ae s,t, but whore there is think
M or irtr. rntual experimenting, there ~
'9h''''Ef r.N. something really distinct
NJ r.a 90 Il" reached, different IRON
AZ! prov existence. Unless there IL some
'a.as b. .II.r degree novel in the purpose
" tiG t.r. here IL no thinning, only q
l'i3rWa .'r ~ "A routine act, following
loFmla vision has been given SO tnat
A''e saa. hoe no possibility OF doing the
wong ua.. only when the end TO be
'ta''"i =. ,,'ne,hirg ahead instend OF
'me'tia. ',uind. something still 10 he
..o'' .p,,"li ~ something which has been
e"Tr. the selections and arrange
meas aay" .ureuecual quality. They rep.
'''-0. ~ experiment. Of the MIND and of
Hs 'Mas.rlruu. The zest and JOY ot DIS
"-r; ..g Go them,
Ti' 'it~ witch a young child mas are
'9-feai ''.u those OF the sruWnup ana
" nd'r- a's .urars aud habits which he
'Ag." 20 IN back upor are different but
We ~ .rs-. one involving these three fac
at ..H.'.y me same.
EA"r- .s difference In the psycholog-
co.t''- anir, needs 10 be mentioned
,'"-s" 4. so important practically.
.l'' because tp' cnildS ends are not ~
%tl'ef "l at 80 Remote in the future,
80 'v'acl-. - pGt every idea IN lmme-
lac b.'.Nu rs stronger with the child
Ms damn. re- Instinct Or his play impulse
q, 'a'A'o.a n'i" active, morS urgent ana
.''''. t..- creates The appearance Of
"a difference IN the quality OF the
."'"Hr l-..' but Il is IA difference In the
'.-'' ~ To-. iuuiscapc, as Il were. rather
,. ~ % 'rrrurr Ia the actual process Of
b IL l. 10