Human Nature and Conduct: An introduction to social psychologyDewey, John
Philosophy
Human Nature and Conduct: An introduction to social psychology
Dewey, John
Habit; Social psychology
Hence the love of pleasure against which moralists issue so many
warnings. Not that love of pleasures is in itself in any way
demoralizing. Love of the pleasures of cheerfulness, of companionship is
one of the steadying influences in conduct. But pleasure has often
become identified with special thrills, excitations, ticklings of sense,
stirrings of appetite for the express purpose of enjoying the immediate
stimulation irrespective of results. Such pleasures are signs of
dissipation, dissoluteness, in the literal sense. An activity which is
deprived of regular stimulation and normal function is piqued into
isolated activity, and the result is division, disassociation. A life of
routine and of over-specialization in non-routine lines seek occasions
in which to arouse by abnormal means a _feeling_ of satisfaction without
any accompanying objective fulfilment. Hence, as moralists have pointed
out, the insatiable character of such appetites. Activities are not
really satisfied, that is fulfilled in objects. They continue to seek
for gratification in more intensified stimulations. Orgies of
pleasure-seeking, varying from saturnalia to mild sprees, result.
It does not follow however that the sole alternative is satisfaction by
means of objectively serviceable action, that is by action which effects
useful changes in the environment. There is an optimistic theory of
nature according to which wherever there is natural law there is also
natural harmony. Since man as well as the world is included in the scope
of natural law, it is inferred that there is natural harmony between
human activities and surroundings, a harmony which is disturbed only
when man indulges in "artificial" departures from nature. According to
this view, all man has to do is to keep his occupations in balance with
the energies of the environment and he will be both happy and efficient.
Rest, recuperation, relief can be found in a proper alternation of forms
of useful work. Do the things which surroundings indicate need doing,
and success, content, restoration of powers will take care of
themselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account