Page:W. H. Chamberlin 1919, The Study of Philosophy.djvu/11

Rh work poorly and the need of understanding which is pressing. As each of these secondary interests develops, like the primary interest it tends to develop a system of tertiary interests, and so on. The whole process is like that seen objectively in the growth of a tree which tends to produce each season a whorl of branches. each of which in turn produces dependent whorls, and so on.

As each interest develops consciousness passes back and forth, backward to a prior stage of development, and forward to a stage that is to be, but what-it is to be is not yet clear. Alternating suggestions of what is to be arise, depending on the past experience and the powers of the individual to reproduce them. There is an eager awaiting of an outcome. Finally the most satisfying suggestion to appear is chosen by the one creating the new reality, with its power, knowledge, and value. This mode of growth is illustrated subjectively by what goes on in the life of one engaging in dramatic composition. In writing a drama the leading interest is one developed in a chief character. This is sustained and developed through the correlating with it of interests in the various lesser persons of the drama. Now one person appears, and then another, until all have appeared repeatedly and in cooperation express a leading interest. But every growing interest illustrates the same process of the growth of a relatively permanent or abiding interest composed of or supported by interests each of which changes in a more or less regular order, and each of which as it changes attending to the past and showing an interest in an outcome, new life about to be.

REFERENCES.

1. Dewey, How We Think, pp. 193-5

The awareness and the value aspects of an interest are intense in but one of these newly forming interests at a time, but the dynamic aspect must be considered as the abiding core of the growing reality and the condition upon which the appearance of the awareness and value aspects constantly depends. The interest whose active core is lacking these ephemeral aspects may be called an automatized interest. Since awareness and feeling of value appear in connection with but one of these growing interests at a time, the number of automatized interests in a person’s life in proportion to those which are new must be very great. As one lives, a vast and increasing number of these is ever becoming involved in the expression of each new interest.