John Dewey | What is thought? [Reflective thought aims, however, at belief]

Source: How We Think

John Dewey, an American philosopher and psychologist, is best known as an educational reformer. Along with William James and Charles Sanders Peirce, he is recognized as one of the founders of the philosophy of Pragmatism and functional psychology. As we can see in his notable contribution to the field of pragmatism, his views of psychology methods and his approaches to these methods are also deeply rooted in pragmatic methods.

Therefore, to grasp the meaning of the concept, he first divides the definition of “thought” into four different categories; from the most generalized use of the word to the most particular use of the word. According to him, the first category of the definition of thought is "everything that comes to mind” and “that goes through our heads.” Therefore, to think of a thing is just to be conscious of it in any way whatsoever, such as any idle fancy, trivial recollection, or flitting impression of this class. Daydreaming, the building of castles in the air, and that loose flux of casual and disconnected material that floats through our minds in relaxed moments are, in this random sense, thinking.

The second term is restricted by excluding whatever is directly presented; we think (or think of) only such things as we do not directly see, hear, smell, or taste." Even when thinking is used in a broad sense, it usually is restricted to matters that are not perceived directly. Nevertheless, as we can see from a man telling a story, a note of invention, as distinct from a faithful record of observation, is present and does not aim at knowledge or belief about facts or truths; and thereby they are marked off from reflective thought even when they most resemble it. Such thoughts are an efflorescence of feeling; the enhancement of a mood or sentiment is their aim; congruence of emotion is their binding tie. They produce good stories, not--unless by chance--knowledge.

The third is what we call reflective thought which aims at belief. The meaning is, therefore, further limited to beliefs that rest upon evidence or testimony, and he puts it alone as truly educative in value. And he further discriminates this third type, two kinds--or, rather two degrees--into two different categories. Even though their difference is strictly one of degree, it becomes important to consider them separately. For it is marked by acceptance or rejection of something as reasonably probable or improbable. However, in some cases, a belief is accepted with slight or almost no attempt to state the grounds that support it. In such cases, the ground or basis for a belief is deliberately sought and its adequacy to support the belief is examined. For instance, when we say, "Men used to think the world was flat," or, "I thought you went by the house," we express the belief that something is accepted, held to, acquiesced in or affirmed. Such thoughts grow up unconsciously and without reference to the attainment of correct belief, and they insinuate themselves into acceptance and become unconsciously a part of our mental furniture. Tradition, instruction and imitation--all of which depend upon authority in some form, appeal to our advantage, or fall in with a strong passion--are responsible for them.

While the latter degree of Reflection involves not simply a sequence of ideas, but a consequence; that is, a consecutive ordering of ideas that determines future ideas and leans back on previous ideas. The successive portions of the reflective thought grow out of one another and support one another. Therefore, thinking in its best sense is that which considers the basis and consequence of belief.