Book: How We Think

Overview
John Dewey presents a systematic account of reflective thinking as an active, disciplined process that transforms everyday habits into intelligent inquiry. He treats thought not as a passive reception of facts but as a dynamic response to problematic situations. For Dewey, thinking begins when routine actions are interrupted and a person must clarify uncertainties, gather evidence, test hypotheses, and draw reasoned conclusions.
Dewey links philosophy and education, arguing that schools should cultivate the habits and skills that support reflective thought. Intelligence, he insists, is not merely the accumulation of information but the capacity to approach problems methodically and to revise beliefs in light of experience. The emphasis is on thinking as a social and practical activity shaped by context and purpose.

Reflective Thinking
Reflective thinking is described as an intentional sequence: recognizing a problem, defining it, forming possible solutions, testing them against facts, and carrying forward the most warranted conclusion. Dewey contrasts this with impulsive or routine action, which bypasses deliberation and often reproduces error. True reflection suspends immediate judgment and subjects assumptions to scrutiny.
Dewey stresses that reflection requires a balance of imagination and logic. Creative suggestion produces possible routes of inquiry, while critical analysis evaluates their plausibility. Both faculties operate within a cycle guided by the criterion of what works to resolve the difficulty at hand, linking thought to action and consequence.

Problem-Centered Learning
Education should organize subject matter around genuine problems rather than isolated facts or rote drills. Dewey advocates situating learning in situations that provoke inquiry, making knowledge instrumental: concepts and procedures become meaningful when they help solve particular difficulties. This approach fosters transfer, since students learn to apply methods to new contexts instead of recalling disconnected information.
Problems for learning should be authentic and connected to students' experiences, encouraging them to ask questions, investigate, and test ideas. Curriculum design moves from passive reception to active investigation, with the teacher functioning as a guide who frames problems, supports evidence-gathering, and encourages reflective judgment.

Teaching Methods
Classroom practices flow from the theory of reflective thinking: present situations that invite inquiry, model the processes of questioning and testing, and support cooperative investigation. Teachers should teach students how to observe carefully, distinguish between hypothesis and fact, and construct experiments or thought exercises that yield evidence. Assessment shifts toward evaluating the quality of reasoning and the ability to apply methods rather than the rote recall of content.
Dewey also emphasizes social conditions that nurture reflection. Dialogue, collaborative problem-solving, and connections to real-world activities create a context in which students must justify their ideas to others and refine them through shared inquiry. The aim is to cultivate intellectual habits, curiosity, open-mindedness, perseverance, that sustain reflective life beyond the classroom.

Lasting Influence
The analysis of thinking and pedagogy articulated here has shaped progressive education and influenced later work on inquiry-based learning, critical thinking, and experiential education. Dewey's insistence that thinking is grounded in action and community continues to inform methods that emphasize projects, labs, and problem-based curricula. His work remains a touchstone for educators who prioritize understanding over memorization and who seek to prepare learners for democratic participation.
By recasting intelligence as a dispositional and procedural competence, the text challenges educators to reorient schooling toward the cultivation of reflective habits. Its legacy endures in educational practices that value questioning, evidence, and the thoughtful resolution of real problems.