Dewey’s Pluralistic Imagination

: In this chapter, Fesmire reassesses John Dewey’s Human Nature and Conduct (1922) through four enduring themes: the role of social habits in moral growth, the centrality of imagination in moral deliberation, the importance of unintended consequences in ethical decision-making, and moral progress as problem-solving. Fesmire describes Dewey’s view of moral dilemmas as entanglements of conflicting forces without absolute resolutions. Dewey’s theory of “dramatic rehearsal” describes moral deliberation as an imaginative process of anticipating outcomes. Dewey emphasizes the interconnectedness of means and ends, urging ethical inquiry that is experimental and adaptable. Fesmire situates this within Dewey’s later pluralism, which rejects singular ethical principles in favor of reconciling competing moral considerations. Dewey ultimately frames moral progress as an ongoing process of intelligent inquiry rather than adherence to fixed doctrines. As Fesmire shows, Dewey’s approach encourages democratic, participatory ethics, emphasizing open dialogue and flexibility in resolving moral conflicts.