Rethinking Cultural-Historical Theory by Manolis Dafermos

Author:Manolis Dafermos
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: Springer Singapore, Singapore

6.7 Conclusion

The cultural-historical school of psychology emerged as a collaborative project that had to deal with several complex practical and theoretical problems that arose in the Soviet Union in the late 1920s. During the primary appearance of a new theory (in the concrete case, cultural-historical theory ), the first attempts to investigate the internal, essential relations of the subject matter occur. In the concrete case, mastering and use of material and psychological tools were examined by Vygotsky as forms of mediating activity of people. The development of higher mental functions began to be considered by Vygotsky as the result of mediating activity .

Vygotsky’s studies of mediating activity opened the path for the investigation of the problem of consciousness. At this point, a theoretical inconsistency in Vygotsky’s theoretical interpretation can be found. Vygotsky discovered the cultural origin of higher mental functions, rather than the overall human psyche. The realm of lower mental functions continued to be considered at the level of naturalistic immediacy. The study of the more developed and mature forms of psychological processes enabled to bring to light their social essence. The less developed sides of the subject matter (the lower mental functions ) continued to be assessed in light of the previous naturalistic approaches.

So, that juncture was marked by the coexistence of the new approach to human functioning (in this case, the concept of cultural psychogenesis) and naturalistic views. The tension between the new concept of social psychogenesis and naturalistic views served as the driving force of the development of Vygotsky’s scientific research.

At the concrete stage of Vygotsky’s creative development, the difference between the new approach to psychological processes (the concept of cultural psychogenesis) and previous naturalistic views unfolded. However, the blurred line between the new approach and previous naturalistic views was still maintained.

The new theory emerged as a rejection of the dominant forms of prior knowledge. However, a radical transformation of the preview forms of knowledge was not yet achieved. On the contrary, the rejection of the prior type of knowledge was based on the methodological basis of prior knowledge (dualism). The dualistic conceptualization of thinking found its expression in the categorical distinctions “natural versus cultural,” “higher versus lower mental functions .” The cultural-historical approach to mental functioning emerged as a non-naturalistic approach. The negative stance in relation to the previous types of knowledge coexisted with hetero-determination by them.

Cultural-historical theory came to light as a rejection of the naturalistic vision of human psyche . Simultaneously, cultural-historical theory was unfolding in relation to the examination of those sides of the human psyche that the naturalistic approach could not explain (higher mental functions) . Thus, the contradictory coexistence of the difference and the identity between the new and previous type of knowledge formed the cognitive context of the period of the primary appearance of cultural-historical theory.

During the period of the primary appearance of cultural-historical theory, Vygotsky disclosed the role of signs for the development of higher mental functions. However, at the concrete stage, the idea of the systemic organization of mental functions was not yet developed by Vygotsky.

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