An excellent book. The only thing lacking is a societal/political context in which thinking, learning and teaching take place, and how that context affects all of the above. But still, many ideas that are incredibly relevant after all of these years. ( )

SUMARIO

Prefacio a la nueva edición 9
Prefacio a la primera edición 11
Introducción a la edición española 13

PRIMERA PARTE

EL PROBLEMA DE LA FORMACIÓN DEL PENSAMIENTO

1. ¿Qué es pensar? 19
2. Por qué el pensamiento reflexivo tiene que constituir un
objetivo de la educación 33
3. Recursos innatos en la formación del pensamiento 51
4. Las condiciones escolares y la formación del pensamiento 69

SEGUNDA PARTE
CONSIDERACIONES LÓGICAS

5. Proceso y producto de la actividad reflexiva:
proceso psicológico y forma lógica 85
6. Ejemplos de inferencia y de comprobación 103
7. Análisis del pensamiento reflexivo 113
8. El lugar del juicio en la actividad reflexiva 129
9. Comprensión: ideas y significados 141
10. Comprensión: concepto y definición 157
11. Método sistemático: control de los datos yevidencia 171
12. Método sistemático: control de razonamiento y conceptos 183
13. Pensamiento empírico y científico 193

8 CÓMO PENSAMOS

TERCERA PARTE
FORMACIÓN DEL PENSAMIENTO

14. Actividad y la formación del pensamiento 207
15. De lo concreto a lo abstracto 221
16. El lenguaje y la formación del pensamiento 231
17. Observación e información en el adiestramiento mental 247
18. La recitación y la formación del pensamiento 259
19. Algunas conclusiones generales 277
Índice analítico y de nombres 289

This worthy book is a reminder of how much times change but some things still stubbornly stay the same. Written over a hundred years ago, the book opens by describing the basic problems facing Western education today: the mushrooming of subjects, the chaos of curricula and the clamour of intransience, prejudice and flippancy.

Dewy explains why it is important to think clearly – sadly a rarely exercised skill. Then he argues that effective thinking should be education’s primary goal. Furthermore he goes on to explain what effective thinking amounts to and how it can be accomplished.

This is indeed a classic work from a noble and sensible era. In contrast much of modern philosophy seems to have surrendered its soul to celebrity, dogma and pride. Consequently it is refreshing to read an author who takes the time to explain his terms and to argue his points rationally. For modern audiences, some definitions might benefit from further finessing. Nonetheless his language is clear and moderate, and it is accompanied by many apt analogies. Thus this book was well worth resurrecting as a paperback. ( )

This is a outstanding theory of the process of thinking. Dewey's explanation separates the idea of thoughts from the process of thinking. Thinking, not something we turn on or off, is constantly refining itself. What we believe is a structure of gaps between information we have secured and the next thought we wish to secure. And we decide how secure each becomes. Each gap is a leap of faith from one perceived secure footing to the next. The journey never ends. ( )