Vygotsky & the Concept of Consciousness A talk by Andy Blunden 18 th February 2011

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Vygotsky & the Concept Vygotsky & the Concept of Consciousnessof Consciousness

A talk by Andy Blunden18th February 2011

Reflexology

Subjective Psychology

Vygotsky’s Vygotsky’s Immanent Critique Immanent Critique of of ReflexologyReflexology

Immanent critique

Immanent critique

consciousness

physiology behaviour

BehaviourismBehaviourism

Physiological Behaviourism

Social Behaviourism

Excludes any notion of consciousness

BehaviourismBehaviourism

Physiological Behaviourism

Social Behaviourism

(1) Aims to predict and control behaviour(2) Excludes evidence proffered by the Subject (3) Excludes any notion of consciousness(4) Takes human beings as uncultured brutes

BehaviourismBehaviourism

Physiological Behaviourism

Social Behaviourism

The Ontology of The Ontology of ConsciousnessConsciousness

“The question is whether in introspection phenomenon and being coincide” and quoting Lenin: “the only ‘property’ of matter connected with philosophical materialism is the property of being an objective reality, of existing outside of our consciousness ... the concept of matter means nothing other than objective reality, existing independently from human consciousness and reflected by it.”

Vygotsky

The Ontology of Consciousness

“My relation to my environment is my consciousness.”

Marx

The Ontology of Consciousness

“what for me is a mental, non-material, suprasensory act, is in itself a material, sensory act.”

Feuerbach

The Ontology of Consciousness

Herder↓

Goethe↓

Hegel↓

Marx

Unit of AnalysisUnit of Analysis

Unit of AnalysisUnit of Analysis

“Pavlov perceived the general in the particular”

“For the reflexologists, everything is a reflex”

Romantic ScienceRomantic Science

Gestalt

Urphänomen

Units, Elements, Microcosms, Units, Elements, Microcosms, Attributes and ArchetypesAttributes and Archetypes

Unit vs. Element:Every unit exhibits all the properties of the whole

Unit is always the unit of a Gestalt, and is itself a complete organism

Units, Elements, Microcosms, Units, Elements, Microcosms, Attributes and ArchetypesAttributes and Archetypes

Unit vs. Attribute:An attribute is just a contingent property, not the subject itself

x y

x & y

Units, Elements, Microcosms, Units, Elements, Microcosms, Attributes and ArchetypesAttributes and Archetypes

Archetype vs. Microcosm:Microcosm is the most developed unit; Archetype is the simplest unit.

Unit of AnalysisUnit of Analysis

Perezhivanie = Lived experience or adventure (unit for development of personality)

Joint artefact-mediated action (unit for the intellect)

Word meaning (unit for verbal thinking)

Thinking and Thinking and SpeechSpeech

Developm

ent of Speech

Developm

ent of Intellect (Concepts)

Pre-Intellectual Speech and Pre-verbal Intelligence

Thinking which is beyond words

speech concepts

Communicative Speech

“Thinking aloud”

Inner Speech

Pseudo- and Potential

Concepts

“True” Concepts

Any Questions?Any Questions?

In Conclusion

http://lchc.ucsd.edu/mca/Paper/Genealogy-CHAT.htm

Available for consultation:

2:30pm – 5pm Tuesday 15th February1:30pm – 4pm Wednesday 16th February2:30pm – 5pm Friday 18th February1:30pm – 4pm Monday 21st February2:30pm – 5pm Tuesday 22nd February2:30pm – 5pm Wednesday 23rd February12:30pm – 5pm Friday 25th February Please book a time with Carol on 082 562 1050

Program of TalksTuesday 15th Staff Lounge 12:30pm The Mind from Descartes to HegelW’sday 16th Senate Room 4:30pm Marx & Modernity: Mind, Culture & ActivityFriday 18th Staff Lounge 12:30pm Vygotsky & Concept of ConsciousnessMonday 21st Senate Room 4:30pm Is Science a Humanity?Tuesday 22nd Staff Lounge 12:30pm Units & Motives in Activity TheoryW’nsday 23rd Staff Lounge 12:30pm Projects & the Problem of ContextMonday 28th Staff Lounge 12:30pm Vygotsky’s Theory of Child Development

Genealogy of CHAT:http://lchc.ucsd.edu/mca/Paper/Genealogy-CHAT.htm

Andy Blunden’s Home Pagehttp://home.mira.net/~andy

History of Philosophy on M.I.A.:http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/