# Human Nature and Conduct — Themes

> Major themes in Human Nature and Conduct by John Dewey.

## Habit and Custom as the Foundation of Conduct

Dewey argues that habits, not reason or instinct, are the primary drivers of human conduct, and that customs are collective habits that shape individual character and moral standards.

## Social Environment Shapes Morality

The book emphasizes that moral character and conduct are functions of social conditions and interactions, not innate qualities, and that changing individuals requires changing their environment.

## Impulse and Intelligence as Agents of Change

Dewey presents impulse as the source of novelty and renewal, while intelligence (reflective thought) is necessary to direct impulses toward constructive reorganization of habits and customs.

## Critique of Traditional Morality and Dualisms

The book criticizes moral theories that separate mind from body, reason from habit, and individual from society, arguing they create false dichotomies and hinder genuine moral progress.

## Education as Social Reproduction or Transformation

Dewey examines how the plasticity of youth is exploited by adults to impose existing customs, but argues true education should foster inquiry, experimentation, and the ability to reshape social conditions.

## Freedom as Intelligent Deliberation, Not Arbitrary Choice

Freedom is redefined as the capacity for deliberate, imaginative rehearsal of possible actions in light of consequences, rather than an uncaused will or mere spontaneity.

## Social Psychology as the Study of Collective Habit

Dewey contends that social psychology should focus on how customs and institutions shape individual minds, not on how individual minds form society, reversing traditional psychological assumptions.

## Moral Judgment as Prospective and Consequential

The book argues that moral judgment should be forward-looking, focused on modifying conditions and future outcomes, rather than backward-looking praise, blame, or retribution.

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