Democracy and Education · Chapter
The Meaning of the Terms explained
This chapter explores the concepts of interest and discipline in education, arguing that they are interconnected rather than opposed.
What happens
This chapter explores the concepts of interest and discipline in education, arguing that they are interconnected rather than opposed. Dewey defines interest as the active engagement of the self with objects and activities, emphasizing that genuine interest arises when material connects with a learner's present powers and purposes. Discipline is described as the power to persist in a thoughtfully chosen course of action, requiring both intellectual foresight and emotional commitment. The chapter critiques the separation of these concepts, warning against both 'soft' pedagogy that relies on artificial inducements and coercive methods that suppress inclination.
Themes in this chapter
Interest and Discipline Unified
Dewey argues that interest and discipline are not opposed but are two aspects of the same process: interest provides the driving engagement, while discipline supplies the persistence and deliberation needed to carry an activity through to completion.
Experience and Learning by Doing
The chapter emphasizes that learning occurs through active participation in activities that have genuine consequences for the learner, contrasting the passive spectator with the engaged agent who acts to influence outcomes.
Key passages
“Interest, concern, mean that self and world are engaged with each other in a developing situation.”
Interest signifies a dynamic interaction between the individual and their environment, where both are mutually involved in an ongoing process.
Dewey rejects the idea of a separate subjective realm, asserting that personal attitudes are always responses to objective situations.
“Discipline means power at command; mastery of the resources available for carrying through the action undertaken.”
Discipline is the ability to control and effectively use one's resources to accomplish a chosen task.
Dewey defines discipline positively as empowerment, not as mere obedience or suppression.
“The remedy is not in finding fault with the doctrine of interest, any more than it is to search for some pleasant bait that may be hitched to the alien material. It is to discover objects and modes of action, which are connected with present powers.”
Instead of blaming the concept of interest or resorting to artificial rewards, educators should find activities that naturally connect with students' existing abilities and concerns.
Dewey criticizes both the rejection of interest and the use of superficial incentives, advocating for curriculum that is inherently meaningful.