Andy, There is a book called the Philosophy of John Dewey. It is something of a Festschrift, done near the end of his career, but done in a very different way. The First part of the book is a series of critiques and discussions of John Dewey by some of the most important thinkers of the first part of the twentieth century. You will recognize many of the names, a real who's who of mostly philosophy. In the second part of the book Dewey responds to all of the chapters and attempts to explain his ideas in light of these challenging ideas. It is a really fascinating read - I think the best way to approach it is by reading the section written by Dewey and then go back and read the chapters you find most interesting as he works through his response. I wish we still did things like this in academia - Dewey is so fair and good natured in his response, but very firm. If you want to read Dewey by Dewey this is a great place to start. The need to respond to well conceived critiques really pushes him to be efficient and clear in his thought. Michael ________________________________ From: xmca-bounces@weber.ucsd.edu on behalf of Andy Blunden Sent: Wed 9/21/2011 8:07 PM To: Tony Whitson Cc: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity Subject: Re: [xmca] Collective Experience vs. Individual Experience? (Help,anyone?) I am bewildered by this pagem Tony. Can you recommend a page where I can read Dewey on philosophy at some length - his work on group problem solving, learning, his critique of Hegel, and so on. Andy Tony Whitson wrote: > Thanks, Andy, that is helpful. >An > The Dewey is posted here: > https://tw-curricuwiki.wikispaces.com/Dewey--culture%2C+experience > > On Tue, 20 Sep 2011, Andy Blunden wrote: > >> Herder, as I understand him, saw collective experience as an >> important facet in the formation of the character of a people. I >> think part of the problem is that "experience" has been such a >> contested term, Tony. Generally it has been co-opted by Empiricism, >> which is by its nature individualist and by definition the philosophy >> of experiene, but Dewey used the word in formulating his view. But >> didn't he later say that he regretted using the word "experience" >> because it led to misunderstandings? Personally, I think /shared/ >> experience is the most powerful force in changing Zeitgeist and >> individual mninds en masse. You have an experience, and then you find >> that everyone else experienced the same thing and that event then >> becomes a central focus of your collaboration with other people. What >> could be more world-changing? >> >> Andy >> >> Tony Whitson wrote: >>> This query is prompted by a new book: >>> >>> Peck, Don. Pinched: How the Great Recession Has Narrowed Our Futures >>> and >>> What We Can Do About It. New York: Crown Pub., 2011. >>> >>> http://www.amazon.com/Pinched-Great-Recession-Narrowed-Futures/dp/0307886522 >>> >>> / >>> >>> in which the author looks more deeply into predictable ramifications >>> of the >>> current economic situation than I have seen in other recent work. >>> >>> >>> Based on historical, sociological, and other literatures and modes of >>> research, the author argues that what we're dealing with now is not >>> just a >>> wave in a recurring cycle. He predicts lasting changes that he >>> expects to >>> deeply impact different generational cohorts for decades to come. >>> >>> >>> His argument is plausible, at least, to me. But it prompts me to wonder >>> about experience that is really collective experience, as opposed to >>> individual experience. >>> >>> >>> Exposing my ignorance, I realize that I can't think of literature on >>> the >>> nature and structure of collective experience. It seems like there >>> must be a >>> lot; but I can't think of it. It also seems like xmca is a likely >>> place to >>> find people who would be interested, and would know about such >>> literature >>> (although it's not on-topic in the current threads). >>> >>> >>> I'm thinking of my first earthquake experience last month as an >>> example of >>> an individual experience. It was totally unlike anything I'd ever >>> experienced before, and it took me a few seconds to even recognize >>> that an >>> earthquake is what was happening (we don't have those in Delaware). >>> I was at >>> my desk, at home, by myself when it happened. >>> Of course, the experience was mediated after the fact from my >>> sociocultural >>> awareness of earthquakes. Still, I think it was an individual >>> experience in >>> the moment, compared with the collective experience that Don Peck is >>> writing >>> about -- an experience of events and developments over time, in >>> which the >>> experience of others participates, throughout, in the experience of >>> any one. >>> >>> >>> I am thinking that there might be something else that could be called >>> "shared experience," intermediate between individual and collective >>> experience. >>> >>> >>> Does this make any sense? Is this question of interest to anyone? Or >>> am I >>> naïvely wondering about things that have been well developed in the >>> literature? >>> >>> >>> I would be interested if anyone has ideas or references to share on >>> this. >>> >>> __________________________________________ >>> _____ >>> xmca mailing list >>> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu >>> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca >>> >>> >>> >> >> -- >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ >> *Andy Blunden* >> Joint Editor MCA: >> http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g932564744 >> Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/ >> Book: http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857 >> >> __________________________________________ >> _____ >> xmca mailing list >> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu >> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca >> > > Tony Whitson > UD School of Education > NEWARK DE 19716 > > twhitson@udel.edu > _______________________________ > > "those who fail to reread > are obliged to read the same story everywhere" > -- Roland Barthes, S/Z (1970) -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Andy Blunden* Joint Editor MCA: http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~db=all~content=g932564744 Home Page: http://home.mira.net/~andy/ Book: http://www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=227&pid=34857 __________________________________________ _____ xmca mailing list xmca@weber.ucsd.edu http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
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