The Dialogical concept of consciousness in L.S. Vygotsky and G.H. Mead and its relevance for contemporary discussions on consciousness
Leszek Koczanowicz
Polish Psychological Bulletin 2011 DOI: 10.2478/v10059-011-0010-1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Argues that cultural-activity theory, drawing on Bakhtin, Vygotsky, Mead, and Dewey, treats human consciousness as an effect of the intersection of language, social relations, and activity. The author contends consciousness cannot be reduced to sensory experience but is a process converting experience into language expressions used to establish interpersonal relationships, and should be explained by the objectivity of social relationships rather than physical or biological phenomena. |
Abstract
The Dialogical concept of consciousness in L.S. Vygotsky and G.H. Mead and its relevance for contemporary discussions on consciousness In my paper I show the relevance of cultural-activity theory for solving the puzzles of the concept of consciousness which encounter contemporary philosophy. I reconstruct the main categories of cultural-activity theory as developed by M.M. Bakhtin, L.S. Vygotsky, G.H. Mead, and J. Dewey. For the concept of consciousness the most important thing is that the phenomenon of human consciousness is consider to be an effect of intersection of language, social relations, and activity. Therefore consciousness cannot be reduced to merely sensual experience but it has to be treated as a complex process in which experience is converted into language expressions which in turn are used for establishing interpersonal relationships. Consciousness thus can be accounted for by its reference to objectivity of social relationships rather than to the world of physical or biological phenomena.