Sign-In
Cart
The Quest for Certainty: A Study of the Relation of Knowledge and Action
Paperback
ISBN13: 9781025939797
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 328
Weight: 1.01
Height: 0.69 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
The Quest for Certainty is a cornerstone of modern American philosophy, written by the influential thinker John Dewey. In this insightful study of the relation between knowledge and action, Dewey challenges the traditional philosophical pursuit of absolute, immutable truths. He critiques the spectator theory of knowledge, arguing that the historical separation of theory and practice has hindered human progress and scientific understanding.
Throughout the work, Dewey explores how the human longing for certainty led to the creation of a rigid dualism between the mind and the world. Drawing on the successes of the experimental sciences, he proposes a shift toward instrumentalism-a perspective where ideas are seen as tools for directing human action and solving concrete problems. By integrating intellectual inquiry with practical experience, Dewey offers a path toward a more functional and adaptive approach to understanding reality.
This work remains essential reading for those interested in epistemology, pragmatism, and the philosophy of science. It provides a compelling argument for the value of experimental thinking and the necessity of bridging the gap between abstract thought and the physical world.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Also from
Dewey, John
Democracy and Education: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Education (Easy to Read Layout)
Dewey, John
Hardcover
Chance, Love, and Logic
Dewey, John
Peirce, Charles S. (Charles Sanders)
Cohen, Morris R. (Morris Raphael)
Paperback
The School and Society & The Child and the Curriculum (Polis & Praxis Education Series)
Dewey, John
Paperback
Chance, Love, and Logic
Dewey, John
Peirce, Charles S. (Charles Sanders)
Cohen, Morris R. (Morris Raphael)
Hardcover
The Influence Of Darwin On Philosophy, And Other Essays In Contemporary Thought
Dewey, John
Paperback
The Influence of Darwin on Philosophy, and Other Essays in Contemporary Thought
Dewey, John
Paperback
My Pedagogic Creed: Also, the Demands of Sociology Upon Pedagogy by Prof. Albion W. Small
Dewey, John
Albion Woodbury Small
John Dewey
Paperback
Creative Intelligence: Essays in the Pragmatic Attitude
Bode, Boyd Henry
Brown, Harold Chapman
Dewey, John
Hardcover
The Influence of Darwin on Philosophy, and Other Essays in Contemporary Thought
Dewey, John
Hardcover
The School And Society: Being Three Lectures Supplemented By A Statement Of The University Elementary School
Dewey, John
Paperback
Creative Intelligence: Essays in the Pragmatic Attitude
Dewey, John
Bode, Boyd Henry
Brown, Harold Chapman
Paperback
Leibniz's New Essays Concerning the Human Understanding: A Critical Exposition (Cram Edition)
Dewey, John
Paperback
Man's Supreme Inheritance: Conscious Guidance and Control in Relation to Human Evolution in Civilization (Cram Edition)
Alexander, F. Matthias (Frederick Mat
Dewey, John
Paperback
Also in
Philosophy
Solidarity: The Past, Present, and Future of a World-Changing Idea
Taylor, Astra
Hunt-Hendrix, Leah
Hardcover
In the Beginning Was the Deed: Realism and Moralism in Political Argument
Williams, Bernard
Paperback
The American Indian Mind in a Linear World: American Indian Studies and Traditional Knowledge
Fixico, Donald Lee
Paperback
Dreaming of Cinema: Spectatorship, Surrealism, and the Age of Digital Media
Lowenstein, Adam
Paperback
Machine Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm: Spiritual Freedom and the Re-Animation of Matter
Lafitte, Luke
Paperback
The Sociogony: Social Facts and the Ontology of Objects, Things, and Monsters
Worrell, Mark P.
Paperback
On Quality: An Inquiry Into Excellence: Unpublished and Selected Writings
Pirsig, Wendy K.
Pirsig, Robert M.
Hardcover
The Electromagnetic Brain: Em Field Theories on the Nature of Consciousness
Joye, Shelli Renée
Paperback
Philosophy in Turbulent Times: Canguilhem, Sartre, Foucault, Althusser, Deleuze, Derrida
Roudinesco, Elisabeth
Paperback
The New Science of Giambattista Vico: Unabridged Translation of the Third Edition (1744) with the Addition of Practic of the New Science
Vico, Giambattista
Paperback
The Persuaders: At the Front Lines of the Fight for Hearts, Minds, and Democracy
Giridharadas, Anand
Hardcover
The Dream of Reason: A History of Philosophy from the Greeks to the Renaissance
Gottlieb, Anthony
Paperback
The Modes of Scepticism: Ancient Texts and Modern Interpretations
Julia, Annas
Annas, Julia
Barnes, Jonathan
Paperback
Suffering and the Search for Meaning: Contemporary Responses to the Problem of Pain
Rice, Richard
Paperback
Friendship and Society: An Introduction to Augustine's Practical Philosophy
Burt, Donald X.
Paperback
The Philosophy of John Dewey: Volume 1. the Structure of Experience. Volume 2: The Lived Experience
Dewey, John
Paperback
Essays V2: Moral And Entertaining On The Various Faculties And Passions Of The Human Mind (1815)
Clarendon, Edward Hyde Earl of
Paperback
The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living
Holiday, Ryan
Hanselman, Stephen
Hardcover
The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us
Goldstein, Rebecca Newberger
Hardcover
The Obstacle Is the Way Expanded 10th Anniversary Edition: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph
Holiday, Ryan
Hardcover
Self-Help from the Middle Ages: What the Seven Deadly Sins Can Teach Us about Living
Jones, Peter
Hardcover
Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness
Godfrey-Smith, Peter
Paperback
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Fifth Anniversary Limited Edition: The Global Bestseller
Mackesy, Charlie
Hardcover
Bless & Release: The physics of letting go-and wanting what's meant for you.
Laporte, Danielle
Paperback
The Ethical Slut, Third Edition: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships, and Other Freedoms in Sex and Love
Hardy, Janet W.
Easton, Dossie
Paperback
Eight Million Ways to Happiness: Wisdom for Inspiration and Healing from the Heart of Japan
Yoda, Hiroko
Hardcover
Self-Reliance and Nature: The Complete First and Second Series of Emerson's Essays
Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Hardcover