John Dewey on the Qualitative Dimension of Values

LIVIO MATTAROLLO

Córdoba

Congreso; IV International Colloquium on Pragmatism; 2018

Universidad Católica de Córdoba

According to John Dewey, one of the most interesting consequences of the influence of Darwinism on philosophy concerns the subject-matter of values. This topic captured his attention throughout his entire career: for instance, in ?The Influence of Darwinism on Philosophy?, Dewey claims that philosophy ?[...] forswears inquiry after absolute origins and absolute finalities in order to explore specific values and the specific conditions that generate them.? (MW.4.10). From my point of view, the movement requested by Dewey signifies that philosophy has to place values in experience, what leads to consider both the genealogy as well as the genesis of values. By genealogy ?and taking into account writings such as ?The Evolutionary Method as Applied to Morality? (MW.2)? it is meant an analysis of the historical conditions that explain our current values, whereas by genesis it is meant an analysis of the continuity between our values as result of a reflexive experience and our primary, transactional, immediate and qualitative experience. During this communication I will focus on the second point and I will try highlight the qualitative dimension of the genesis of values, paying particular attention to moral ones. In order to accomplish this purpose, firstly I will consider Dewey?s concept of situation and the idea of ?qualitative immediacy of experience?, so as to elucidate the particular features of moral situations. Secondly, I will analyse the notion of moral deliberation as a dramatic and imaginary rehearsal in light of the operative functions in all thinking of the qualitative dimension of experience. To conclude, I will highlight two different senses in which the genesis of values is qualitative: as rooted in primary experience and as coming from a mainly qualitative procedure.