듀이 자연관에 함의된 탐구의 성격과 교과의 의미

The Character of Inquiry and the Meaning of Subject Matter implied in Dewey s View of Nature

본 연구는 듀이의 자연관에 함의된 탐구의 성격과 교과의 의미를 밝히는 것을 목적으로 하고 있다. 듀이의 일원론적 자연관에 의하면 형이상학의 기본단위는 교변작용하는 상황이며, 총체성을 특성으로 한다. 인간은 교변작용하는 상황 속에 존재하면서 교변작용하는 상황을 대면하는 ‘경험’으로 존재한다. 따라서 인간의 근본적 탐구대상은 교변작용하는 상황의 총체성이며, 이 총체성은 상황을 직접 대면할 때 작동하는 질성적 사고작용에 의해 포착된다. 이러한 탐구의 기본적 성격에 비추어 볼 때 교과는 전통적으로 교과로 인정하는 미리 정해진 교과(서)가 아니라, 교사, 전통적인 교과, 학습자가 만나서 교변작용하는 과정에서 구성된다. 그리고 탐구의 과정으로서 교육은 총체적 지식의 계속적인 재구성 과정으로 정의된다. 이러한 교육의 정의에 비추어 보면 삶을 산다는 것은 탐구하는 것을 포함하며, 탐구한다는 것은 사고하는 존재로서 인간다운 삶을 사는 데에 필수적인 것이다. 탐구로서 교육은 인간 삶의 원초적 현상이며, 이때의 교육은 내재적 가치를 갖는다.

This study aims to bring out the character of inquiry with respect to Dewey s monistic view of nature and reconceptualize the meaning of subject matter implied in the nature of inquiry. According to the traditional view, nature and man are considered to be separate and independent in and of themselves. They are two basic and essential elements which consist of the world. This view is termed as the dualistic view of nature, or dualism. In constrast, Dewey s view of nature is monistic. The existents exist as events; Transaction or event is the basic and essential component of the world, where man and nature exist as components in interaction, more accurately, transaction. In the light of this view of nature, experience as situational transaction is characterized by a totality, which is the basic object of an inquirer to try to perceive and investigate. A new mode of thinking ability different from rational thinking is required to perceive and understand the totality. It is qualitative thought, according to Dewey. Therefore, the basic nature of human inquiry can be epitomized as ‘perception of a totality by qualitative thought.’From this conception of inquiry, the meaning of subject matter can be abstracted as: 1) The knowledge in subjects results from inquiry into the totality of a transacting situation. The knowledge is not the essence of independent nature, but the significance of inquirer s pragmatic life. 2) The subject matter is not precedent to the process of education, but is constructed in the process of education where teacher, learners, and the precedent subjects meet and interact. 3) The process of education is to be reconceptualized as reorganization or self-expansion of whole knowledge in the learner s mind. In summary, education as reorganizational process of whole knowledge does not have an aim, but itself the aim. That is, the aim of education is intrinsic to and inherent in educational activity as inquiry.