“Self-enlightenment” in the Context of Radical Social Change: A Neo-Confucian Critique of John Dewey's Conception of Intelligence

Abstract

Introduction A man is or blind or unintelligent--lacking in mind--just in the degree in which in any activity he not know what he is about, namely, the probable consequence of his acts. (1) This sentence from John Dewey's Democracy and Education (1916/1966) highlights his effort in building a theory of intelligence which he saw as critical to a democratic society. In his later work, A Common Faith (1934), Dewey claimed that there is but one sure road of access to truth-the road of patient, cooperative inquiry operating by means of observation, experiment, record and controlled reflection. (2) These claims, almost two decades apart, are illustrative of Dewey's lifelong faith in cooperative social intelligence to solve the problems that emerge in human experience. Dewey emphasizes the degree to which human activities cannot be adequately understood as an individual's isolated efforts: Conduct is always shared ... It is social, whether bad or good. (3) This conception of intelligence appears to require a purpose to guide action and thus make it intelligent: intelligence is the effective connection between the individual and his environment, between the present circumstance and future goals. But what happens when the gap between previous experience and current experience is so wide that the principle of continuity implicit in purposefulness is stretched beyond the breaking point? Such a condition might be experienced as a void in intelligibility since the inability to frame viable purposes in a context of rapid and profound change short circuits the connection between present circumstance and future purpose which constitutes intelligence. Such conditions would seem to define a paralysis of intelligence, in a Deweyan sense, at the very moment when intelligence is most needed. What then? This predicament is dramatized in a recent popular Chinese TV series, Storm Troops (2007), which explores the rupture of continuity in a rapidly changing contemporary Chinese society. (4) The lead character, Xu Sanduo, was born into an extremely poor family in a remote village and recruited into the Army when he is 19 years old. Xu is honored by his opportunity to join the Army and makes his greatest effort to perform well in training. However, the gap between his rural experience and his current induction into the social organization of a rapidly modernizing Chinese military is so wide that he does not know what he is about. His answer to any question is a timid I don't know. In Dewey's words, he seems to be lacking in mind. His superiors and fellow soldiers deem him too to be a qualified soldier. After training, he is assigned to guard a site so remote and so valueless that it seems to be the most pointless position in the whole army. Because no one comes to supervise them--to define purpose for them--his fellow soldiers kill time by playing cards, also playing with this seemingly hopeless situation and forgotten land they guard. Though Xu not know what he should do, he refuses to kill time like his comrades. The only thing he is sure of is that he should do meaningful things. So, he builds a road. But in this setting, the road itself is purposeless; it goes nowhere since no one will come to use the road. However, even though the road may be meaningless at this point, building the road as an activity is meaningful for Xu. creates meaning in his life through the action of building a road, even though it is not clear to him why he builds it, other than the vague feeling that he is supposed to be doing something meaningful. He not know what he is about; he is just busy being about it. appears to be, then, by Dewey's measure, stupid or blind or unintelligent, and as a consequence suffers his peers' scorn, discrimination and isolation. (5) In the end, his deed is recognized by the head of the Army and he is promoted to a more important position, becoming not only a qualified but a distinguished soldier. …