| Show REPORT OF LECTURES LECTURE BY PROF DEWEY ON THE OF THE RECITATION The particular is the defined element of and within the individual If we state the color of the flower or its form we get geta a particular in each case The particular lar is the emphasis placed upon some element to define a whole of which it is isa a part Individuals are distinguished by reference to some particular The particular is always relative to some individual individual individual in in- and falls within it So sensation sensation sensation sensa sensa- tion is relative to some image and falls within it We must have the circumference circumference circumference circum circum- ference a as as aswell i well as the center On the theother theother theother other hand the image moves toward the general The image contains within it itself itself itself it- it self growth toward the particular or sensuous sensuous sensuous sen sen- and toward the general or ideal element It is not literally true that we go from the particular to the general We do donot donot donot not begin with the particular or end with the general We Vve start with the individual ual which has within itself both the individual individual individual indi indi- vidual and the general We Weare are to bring this to consciousness As long as I emphasize emphasize emphasize em em- this flower I am occupied with the particular for I am distinguishing But it is not only this but this flower It belongs to a class and has relations to other individuals There is no experience experience experience ex ex- of the child which is not both particular and general If two things are exactly the same the two experiences are not recognized as different and we have havethe havethe havethe the general if entirely unlike they are not recognized at all Mere sensation may give a nervous thrill but no more Unless united with the ideal element sensation means nothing As the sensation sensation sensa sensa- tion is imbedded in a matrix of ideas it naturally suggests a question the re response response response re- re to this is the mentally supplied Y element and corresponds to the general The entire experience is the individual It is well to bear in mind that movement toward generalization is latent from the first Individual interest and image are terms They stand for the same reality but throw emphasis upon different t si sides es The different answers given to the question regarding the meaning of the statement that we should begin with the individual represented different interests The etymology of the word is a good point of departure Interest is interaction between the sense factor and the mentally mentally mentally men men- tally supplied or ideal factor Wherever we have that interaction we have inter inter- est Where it is not we either have no interest or a forced one This movement movement movement move move- ment of interest reacts both ways It re reacts reacts reacts re- re acts on the persons person's own interest image making it richer and it gives more ideas thus building up the general This is illustrated when a child goes to toa a menagerie for the first time He classifies animals on the basis of his knowledge of cats dogs etc lie He projects projects projects pro pro- the old into the new to give the new meaning and the new reacts upon the old to give new mental power There is growth on both the objective and the subjective sides because of the interaction interaction interaction tion between the new and the old In apperception it is just as important to get the reaction of the new upon the old as it is to get the reverse effect The two movements are distinguished in McLellan Mc- Mc McLellan McLellan in this Lellan Lellan and Deweys Dewey's psychology way The forward movement is' is termed a apperception erce tion while the backward movement movement movement move move- ment is called retention or mental or or- Interest is thus seen to be interaction with ith growth at both poles Wherever there is isolation there is arrest and failure of interest On the other hand no one ever saw one uninterested who felt that he was manifesting his power When one feels himself repelled repelled repelled-dis- dis discouraged there there is a tendency to lack interest If the child feels that he cannot cannot cannot can can- not do his work he loses interest but if he feels that he can interest is kindled To begin with either the particular or orthe orthe orthe the general leads to lack of interest When one begins with the general or orthe orthe orthe the abstract the work is dead When one begins with the particular or the sensation there is insufficiency of mental power in interpreting All of this discussion discussion discussion dis dis- leads back to the question of the proper beginning Shall it be interest or growth Are we between the horns of a dilemma which says either the childs child's interest or the abstract subject This is a difficult question There seems to be an antagonism between the two points of view Are there any points of contact between the individual personal or subjective side and th the material or objective side Roughly speaking speaking-in in the old education the aim was discipline and the emphasis was thrown upon the subject matter There was a tendency to ignore t the e mode of f approach ch the individuality of the child The emphasis was upon the external |
