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Description:
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During the 20th century , John Dewey introduced a new idea with respect to the
nature of logical theory : He presented a portrait of logic as a theory about how
organisms interact and maintain an integrated balance between themselves and their
environment . He wrote many texts on what he called his theory of inquiry , including
Essays in Experimental Logic (1916 ) , Studies in Logical Theory (1903 ) , and How We
Think (1910 ) . However , the book where he most closely detailed his theory of inquiry is
in his Logic : The Theory of Inquiry (1938 ) . These texts by Dewey have served as the
source for much recent discussion and commentary in Dewey scholarship . Most of these
interpretations on Dewey s theory of inquiry , I maintain , misunderstand Dewey in some
fundamental way . I argue that these commentators have gone wrong in interpreting
Dewey and his works by failing to understand some aspect of his theory of inquiry . I
illustrate the flaws in their interpretations and subsequently integrate the conclusions I
reach into a single , cohesive perspective on Dewey s account of inquiry . The final
chapter presents a new interpretation of Dewey that emphasizes the role of phenomenal ,
contextual , and social factors in the foundations of his logical works . |