探討杜威的「適應」概念—教育面向的思考

摘要

討論到「適應」的概念，一般容易作出「適應良好」與「適應不良」的二分，依據杜威對「適應」概念所提出的澄清，筆者認為「適應良好」與「適應不良」的二分預設，犯了杜威在《經驗與教育》一書的開端中所提出的批評：「人們喜歡使用極端相對的方式來思考，採用『非此即彼』（Either-Ors）的公式將許多信念加以闡述，認為兩個極端之間沒有調和的可能性。」當我們逐漸體認到「適應」概念其實具有生命主體的動態意涵時，就會理解時常慣用「截然二分」的預設，其語詞的使用會導致邏輯上的謬誤。

杜威指出順應（accommodation）、調適（adaptation）、適應（adjustment）三者，所抱持的態度是不同的。筆者進一步地研究，理解到杜威藉由三者的分析，指出「生命體」與「環境」之間的「適應」具有「動態」的「有機關係」，也強調各人與環境之間的「適應」都是殊異的，進一步陳述「持續調和與改造」的「適應觀」，因此，具有更積極的生命意涵。而「適應」需要「生命體」、「環境」、「互動地」、「逐漸地」、「持續不斷地」、「永續共存地」之必要條件，才能使「適應」的過程延續不斷。

從「語言學習與使用」的面向去探討「語言」與「適應」之間的「動態」關係，「語言的習得」是人類的先天生理結構與後天教育環境，逐漸不斷地「適應」而來的。如同杜威指出，語言是唇舌運動和聽覺聲音之間精確的調適，也是社會調適的最重要工具，語言的學習與使用，大致上可區分為「生理適應」與「社會適應」兩個密不可分的層面來討論。「語言」是思想表達的便利工具，也是教育情境中得以分享與溝通「經驗」的重要工具。從語言的討論將進入本文的最後一章，由教育的面向延伸討論「適應」的概念，而杜威在《民主與教育》裡提到「將『適應』當作是完全嵌入於外在條件」是錯誤觀點的嚴厲批評，與其廣義的「教育」概念是互相呼應的，他提出「教育就是生活」、「教育就是經驗不斷地重組與重構」等的主張都蘊含著動態的「適應觀」；最後，將論述到「教育」與生命體「適應」環境之間具有密不可分的關係，進而闡釋筆者對教育現象的觀察與反思。

  關鍵詞：杜威、適應、調適、順應、語言、調整性適應、正向適應、適應不良

Abstract

The concept of "adjustment" may often come with the two extremes: "well-adjustment" and "maladjustment." This dichotomy was clearly recognized by Dewey. He wrote in Experience and Education: "Mankind likes to think in terms of extreme opposites. It is given to formulating its beliefs in terms of Either-Ors, between which it recognizes no intermediate possibilities.” Once we understand that the concept of adjustment implies the process of constant interaction between persons and their environment, which is a dynamical progress, using static and dichotomous concepts to describe “adjustment” as such would be by and large a fallacy in logic.

Dewey pointed out that accommodation, adaptation and adjustment, are clearly three distinct concepts. Each individual engage in his/her own adjustable process. An active meaning of life goes beyond mere “adjustment” by constantly harmonizing and changing. The necessary conditions for “adjustment” involve “life,” “environment,” “interaction,” “progressiveness,” “vitality,” and “coexistence”, to enable the continuity of adjusting process.

About the dynamic relationship between “language” and “adjustment”, we consider “language learning” an acquired experience. As Dewey said, speech, the accurate adaptation of sounds heard transfers to movements of tongue and lips, is an important instrument of social adaptation. With language, we can share and communicate with one another. From educational aspect, we also apply concept of adjustment in process. In Democracy and Education, Dewey criticized the static adjustment. It is a false idea of growth or development. His criticism fitted in with his concept of education in broad sense. He wrote: education is life, and education is a constant reorganizing or reconstructing of experience. I argued that Dewey’s stand in education is a dynamic adjustment.

   Key Words：John Dewey, adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, language, adaptive adjustment, positive adjustment, maladjustment