Human Nature and Conduct · Chapter
Part IV: Conclusion explained
Dewey concludes by arguing that dividing conduct into separate categories like habit, impulse, and intelligence is artificial, as each topic inevitably leads into the others.
What happens
Dewey concludes by arguing that dividing conduct into separate categories like habit, impulse, and intelligence is artificial, as each topic inevitably leads into the others. He synthesizes the discussion by reflecting on conduct as an integrated whole.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This passage marks the story's dramatic climax because it delivers a psychological reversal, rejecting the uti…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Habit and Custom as the Foundation of Conduct
Dewey emphasizes that habit, impulse, and intelligence are not separate but interwoven, with habit forming a core part of conduct.
- Impulse and Intelligence as Agents of Change
The conclusion highlights how impulse and intelligence interact with habit, showing that conduct is a dynamic whole rather than a set of isolated functions.
Key passages
“Conduct when distributed under heads like habit, impulse and intelligence gets artificially shredded. In discussing each of these topics we have run into the others.”
Dewey argues that separating conduct into habit, impulse, and intelligence is an artificial division, as each concept inevitably overlaps with the others.
This paraphrase captures Dewey's central claim that conduct must be understood as an integrated whole.
