now of all the phi­lo­so­phers i know        the only one who tried to        make a case for the mea­ning of expe­rience is john dewey        actual­ly tried to think it through        although his most tho­rough        thin­king through took place in a very spe­cial situa­tion        to des­cribe the expe­rience of art        which was not an acti­vi­ty he was        very know­led­geable about        but he was know­led­geable about human        acti­vi­ty        and he pro­po­sed that art making was very much like any        other form of human acti­vi­ty        and that at its cen­ter is the expe­rience        it pro­vides you with        in order to des­cribe this he had to work out his        idea of what an expe­rience was        and this tur­ned out to be a pro­found        idea        a very beau­ti­ful notion        that an expe­rience        a real or inte­gral        expe­rience has a nar­ra­tive form        it has a begin­ning a middle and an        end        he sup­poses that all expe­riences are gene­ra­ted by a kind of need        or desire        as he sees it if you dont need or desire some­thing you wont        expe­rience it ful­ly at all        and he dis­tin­guishes bet­ween what he calls        full or inte­gral expe­riences and par­tial or chao­tic expe­riences        that        dont involve full self awa­re­ness        and these dont count at all for dewey        he says look        sup­pose you go to a french res­tau­rant thats        sup­po­sed to be a won­der­ful res­tau­rant and youre all set to have a great        culi­na­ry expe­rience        youre wai­ting for the first dish to arrive        youve selec­ted an hors d’oeuvre        and youre wai­ting for it to come        you could be ter­ri­bly sur­pri­sed        because in spite of the cand­le­light and the        spark­ling table­cloths the pain­tings on the wall the wai­ters all spea­king        their ear­thy dia­lects        the frogs legs just dont taste very good        they taste like tough chi­cken thighs        and theres nothing more banal than        over­coo­ked chi­cken thighs        so this is a bad moment        a small per­so­nal tra­ge­dy        but you still have hopes for the entrée        you bold­ly order        boeuf bour­gui­gnon        but it comes back sour and unpa­la­table        the wine is past its prime and the beef is strin­gy        this is very disap­poin­ting        but youre still trying to find some of the satis­fac­tion you ima­gi­ned        or hoped for        so now youre at des­sert        you order an apple and some brie        what can they do to an apple        and they didnt make the brie        your luck turns around        its a mar­ve­lous apple        firm and sweet with the fra­grance of its blos­som        and a lus­cious crea­my brie        its a par­tial retrie­val        youve snat­ched a        small satis­fac­tion from the debacle of the meal this is an expe­rience        you will never for­get        its hopes and its fears        its great defeats and        its final small vic­to­ry        next time you go to a french res­tau­rant youll be        wary of the frogs legs and maybe youll avoid the boeuf bour­gui­gnon