S’entraîner à observer

Abstract

From a reading of John Dewey’s work, this paper highlights a phase of intelligence, the exploration of which could be the key to a continuous education all the life long, that of observation. After defining the role of inquiry in the existence and practices of citizenship, it shows that far from being an innate or natural faculty, observation can be trained by various methods that are equally suitable for young children than to the adult. Practicing to observe could then prove indispensable to accommodate the unpredictable and to form new knowledge.

Keywords

• John Dewey
• inquiry
• observation
• education
• democracy
• activity analysis