Human Nature and Conduct

John Dewey argues that human conduct is fundamentally shaped by habits and customs, not fixed instincts or abstract reason. He redefines freedom as intelligent deliberation and morality as an experimental, social process, critiquing traditional dualisms that separate mind from body and individual from society.

In *Human Nature and Conduct*, John Dewey presents a social psychology of morality grounded in habit, impulse, and intelligence. He begins by establishing habits as the primary units of conduct—active, social functions that constitute the self and are shaped by customs and institutions. Dewey critiques traditional moral theories that separate reason from impulse, arguing that will is not a separate faculty but the organization of habits projecting into consequences. Impulse serves as the dynamic source of change, disrupting old habits and initiating reconstruction, while intelligence (reflective thought) directs impulses toward constructive ends. Dewey redefines freedom not as arbitrary choice but as the capacity for deliberate, imaginative rehearsal of actions in light of consequences. He insists that morality is inherently social and empirical, rooted in concrete human interactions rather than supernatural commands or fixed principles. The book concludes by integrating these elements, arguing that moral judgment should be forward-looking and experimental, focused on modifying conditions and improving future outcomes rather than backward-looking praise or blame.