Abstract
The chapter proposes a preliminary delineation of Vygotsky’s theory. More concretely, the chapter addresses the question of the core subject matters in Vygotsky’s creative laboratory. It is argued that consciousness was the core subject matter of Vygotsky’s investigation during different stages of his life course . This key problem in Vygotsky’s creative laboratory has been ignored in the domain of psychology as well as in the contemporary Vygotskian academy. Vygotsky was also grappling with the issue of development from a cultural-historical perspective. In the same chapter, the debate about the periodization of the development of Vygotsky’s theory is considered critically. The treatment of Vygotsky’s theory in historical perspective is also proposed as a developing research project.
Before studying development, we must explain what is developing.
(Vygotsky 1997b, p. 44)
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Notes
- 1.
Kroeber and Kluckhohn (1952) offered a critical review of concepts and definitions of culture, and compiled a list of 164 different definitions.
- 2.
Following the tradition of Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767–1835), Alexander Potebnya developed an original theory about the interrelation between thinking and language and historical development of language. Potebnya’s focus on the active role of words in the creation of thought inspired Vygotsky to elaborate his own understanding between thinking and speech. Vygotsky was also influenced by Gustav Shpet. From a phenomenological perspective, Gustav Shpet rejected the possibility of the existence of a wordless thought and emphasized the inner form of words (Zinchenko 2007).
- 3.
These concepts are examined in the seventh chapter of the book.
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Dafermos, M. (2018). A Preliminary Sketch of Vygotsky’s Theory. In: Rethinking Cultural-Historical Theory. Perspectives in Cultural-Historical Research, vol 4. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0191-9_3
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