Description
Book SynopsisAndy Blunden presents an immanent critique of Cultural-Historical Activity Theory, the current of psychology originating from Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934). Tracing the roots of this theory from Goethe, Hegel and Marx, the author draws out the principles with which Vygotsky developed a theory of the mind in which the individual and their social situation form a single Gestalt, transcending the problems of mind-body dualism. Blunden follows the efforts of later members of the School to resolve outstanding problems in Vygotsky’s work. This includes a critical appropriation of Leontyev’s Activity Theory and Michael Cole’s cross-cultural research on the role of context in learning. The outcome is a concept of activity which transcends the division between individual and social domains in human sciences.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Part I. Introduction and Historical Excursus 1. Introduction 2. Soviet Cultural Psychology (1924-) 3. Goethe’s Romantic Science 4. The Young Hegel and what drove him 5. The Phenomenology and ‘formations of consciousness’ 6. The Subject Matter of the Logic 7. Being, Essence & the Notion 8. Subjectivity and culture 9. Hegel’s Psychology and Spirit 10. Marx’s Critique of Hegel 11. Marx and the Foundations of Activity Theory 12. Marx’s Critique of Political Economy 13. Conclusions from this Historical Excursus Part II. Lev Vygotsky 14. Vygotsky’s Critique of Behaviorism 15. Vygotsky and Luria on Romantic Science 16. Vygotsky on Units and Microcosms 17. Vygotsky on Gestalt and Bildung 18. The Significance of Vygotsky’s Legacy Part III. Activity Theory 19. Activity 20. Activity as the Substance of a Science 21. Criticisms of Vygotsky’s concept of Activity 22. Leontyev’s Anatomy of Activity 23. Leontyev’s Activity Theory and Marx’s Political Economy 24. Groups as a Model of Sociality 25. Yrjö Engeström’s Model 26. Michael Cole and Cross-Cultural Psychology 27. The Results of this Immanent Critique Part IV. An Interdisciplinary Approach 28. Collaborative Projects 29. Ethics and Collaboration 30. Marx’s Critique of Political Economy and Activity Theory 31. Towards a Taxonomy of Activity 32. Collaborative Projects and Identity 33. Collaborative Projects and Agency 34. Emancipatory science 35. Conclusion References Index
