Psychologies of Art and Literature: A comparison of the work of I.A. Richards and L.S. Vygotsky

Beyond the fact that both were born in the 1890s, the English literary critic I.A. Richards and the Soviet psychologist L.S. Vygotsky would appear to have very little in common. Nonetheless, during the early 1920s, both were engaged in an identical intellectual project: formulating a new theory of art and literature founded upon psychological principles. The texts which arose from this work - Richards' Principles of Literary Criticism and Vygotsky's The Psychology of Art - were completed within a few weeks of each other. This essay sets out to explore the similarities and differences between the two texts, and to account for why two intellectuals working in apparently very different contexts should have both been engaged at the same time in using the tools of psychology to build a new theory of art and literature. As such, it builds on the two previous essays published by the author in this journal.     

Vygotsky and moral education: A response to and expansion of Tappan

Despite increasing studies and applications of Vygotsky’s theory of learning and development, little has been written connecting Vygotsky specifically to moral education. The most comprehensive attempt at formulating such an account is given by Mark Tappan. I critically evaluate Tappan’s account before raising several problems for his approach. I then offer suggestions for resolving these issues by turning to research in socialization theory and recommending additional sociocultural artifacts that can supplement moral education.     

Vygotsky, sign language, and the education of deaf pupils

This article considers the impact of Vygotsky on the education of deaf children in Russia and is a translation/adaptation of an article currently being published in Defektologiia. While Vygotsky perceived sign language as limited in some aspects nevertheless, he always considered that it had a role in education of deaf pupils. He believed that sign language should not be 'treated like an the enemy' and said that 'bilingualism of def people is an objective reality'. However, sign language was banned from Russian schools following a conference decision in 1938. The changing political climate in Russia has lead to the reevaluation of many aspects of life, including approaches to education, and to a reassessment of Vygotsky's ideas and an appreciation of their continuing relevance. Among other things, this has resulted in a reevaluation of the role of sign language for deaf pupils and an emerging interest in sign bilingualism.     

Vygotsky as Precursor to Metacognitive Theory: II. Vygotsky as Metacognitivist

In this article it is demonstrated that topics discussed in contemporary metacognitive research are integral parts of Vygotsky's (1978, 1986) theory of cognitive development. This conclusion is reached through a discussion of Vygotsky's views of self‐regulation, the relationship between self‐awareness and self‐regulation, and the relationship between awareness/regulation on the one hand and cognitive process on the other. The uniqueness of a Vygotskian approach to metacognition is also specified. This uniqueness resides in Vygotsky's focus on the sign system of human language, on the linguistic tools of thought and the central role they play in mediating cognitive performance.     

Forgetski Vygotsky

This paper argues that sociocultural accounts of learning fail to answer the key question about learning—how is it possible? Accordingly, we should adopt an individualist bootstrapping methodology in providing a theory of learning. Such a methodology takes seriously the idea that learning is staged and distinguishes between a non-comprehending engagement with things and a comprehending engagement. It suggests that, in the light of recent work in psychology (Carey) with insights from Wittgenstein, there is rich scope for a bootstrapping account of learning. The paper also argues that sociocultural approaches when pushed, either require some such bootstrapping account, or they collapse into an obscure Ficthean metaphysics in which individual abilities are ‘summoned into being’ by the attitudes of others.     

Versions of Vygotsky

The current prominent influence of the theories of L. S. Vygotsky on studies of education, particularly of pedagogic practice, requires a re-examination. The dominance of deficient editions of his writings has had regrettable consequences such as a misplaced reading of the 'one of proximal development' The publication of his recent, albeit incomplete, Collected Works in English affords an opportunity to reassess Vygotsky' work. Potential areas for such rethinking include: a comparison between his work and influence with that of Piaget; Vygotsky' own epistemology and methodology; and the relevance of his approach to contemporary concerns.     

当前美国高等教育面临的挑战

当前美国社会经济的发展要求高等教育必须做出迅速反应,而高校的学生构成以及学生接受高等教育的目的也日益多样化。高等学校必须开发更具有弹性、灵巧、敏感和切合实际的学位课程,设计出能满足学生需要的学习策略和学习项目;要深化改革,使高等学校的教师、职员和学生能与商业、政府和民众团体结成伙伴,从而为社会的发展做出更大的贡献。