Why did Dewey believe moral rules alone cannot solve every ethical problem?

John Dewey argued that moral rules alone cannot resolve every ethical problem because human situations often involve conflicting desires and competing "apparent goods" that cannot be settled by the simple application of pre-existing moral codes.1

In Dewey’s view, which he termed instrumentalism, moral inquiry is an evaluative procedure rather than a mechanical adherence to rules. Because every situation presents unique defects or troubles, the "good" must be actively discovered, projected, and attained through a process of intelligent inquiry. He believed that moral ideals should function as hypotheses to guide deliberation, rather than as fixed, absolute ends.1

Ultimately, Dewey emphasized that ethical life is a process of growth, refinement, and "perfecting" rather than reaching a final, static goal. In the face of honest disagreements about what constitutes human fulfillment, he proposed that we rely on democracy as a "way of life"—a collaborative, experimental process of social intelligence where individuals work together to address common problems and revise their views through cooperative action.12