John Dewey's Human Nature and Conduct

This handbook introduces Human Nature and Conduct, John Dewey’s groundbreaking book about moral psychology and moral philosophy, to a new generation. In his classic work, Dewey redefined impulse, habit, and intelligence: not as isolated individual traits, but as socially conditioned factors shaping human thought and action. His ultimate insight is that growth is the only moral good, and that morality is, at its core, a matter of education. Featuring contributions by leading international scholars, this volume presents expert insights into Dewey’s unique psychological framework and its far-reaching impact on moral philosophy and education. The book also tackles contemporary moral dilemmas, from environmental protection and healthcare rationing to sexual liberation and religious transformation, demonstrating how Dewey’s thought remains as vital today as ever.

Author Biography

Leonard J. Waks is Distinguished Professor of Educational Studies at Hangzhou Normal University, China, and Professor Emeritus at Temple University, USA. He is author of Education 2.0 (2013) and The Evolution and Evaluation of Massive Online Courses (2016), and editor of Listening to Teach (2015) and co-editor of John Dewey’s Democracy and Education: A Centennial Handbook (Cambridge, 2017). He is past president of the John Dewey Society and has been awarded the Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Andrea R. English is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Philosophy of Education at University of Edinburgh. She is author of Discontinuity in Learning: Dewey, Herbart and Education as Transformation (Cambridge, 2013), editor of A History of Western Philosophy of Education: The Modern Era (2021), and co-editor of John Dewey’s Democracy and Education: A Centennial Handbook (Cambridge, 2017), which received the Outstanding Book Award by the Society for Professors of Education. She is incoming President of the John Dewey Society.