Overview

Lev Vygotsky has acquired the status of one of the grand masters in psychology. Following the English translation and publication of his Collected Works there has been a new wave of interest in Vygotsky, accompanied by a burgeoning of secondary literature. Ronald Miller argues that Vygotsky is increasingly being 'read' and understood through secondary sources and that scholars have claimed Vygotsky as the foundational figure for their own theories, eliminating his most distinctive contributions and distorting his theories. Miller peels away the accumulated layers of commentary to provide a clearer understanding of how Vygotsky built and developed his arguments. In an in-depth analysis of the last three chapters of Vygotsky's book Thinking and Speech, Miller provides a critical interpretation of the core theoretical concepts that constitute Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory, including the development of concepts, mediation, the zone of proximal development, conscious awareness, inner speech, word meaning and consciousness.

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9780511736582

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Reviews

'You do not need to agree with all Miller's claims and criticisms in order to appreciate his deep understanding of Vygotsky's original texts. Vygotsky in Perspective is required reading for everyone interested in Vygotsky's theory of consciousness.' Alex Kozulin, International Institute for the Enhancement of Learning Potential 'A deeply argumentative tour-de-force through our contemporary interpretations of Vygotsky's ideas. Miller's is a powerful contrarian voice in the efforts to clarify how the human mind operates through the social world. Hopefully the book will trigger new interest among young scholars to solve complex theoretical issues in the social sciences that both Vygotsky and Miller have attempted to accomplish.' Jaan Valsiner, Culture and Psychology and Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science 'Miller's critique is polemic but fair, sharp and entertaining. His message is that we should go back to a painstaking analysis of Vygotsky's writings and not just use his name to make our own ideas more fashionable. His detailed critique of several of the most vocal interpreters of Vygotsky's ideas will hopefully set the stage for a much-needed debate.' Rene van der Veer, Leiden University

'You do not need to agree with all Miller's claims and criticisms in order to appreciate his deep understanding of Vygotsky's original texts. Vygotsky in Perspective is required reading for everyone interested in Vygotsky's theory of consciousness.' Alex Kozulin, International Institute for the Enhancement of Learning Potential 'A deeply argumentative tour-de-force through our contemporary interpretations of Vygotsky's ideas. Miller's is a powerful contrarian voice in the efforts to clarify how the human mind operates through the social world. Hopefully the book will trigger new interest among young scholars to solve complex theoretical issues in the social sciences that both Vygotsky and Miller have attempted to accomplish.' Jaan Valsiner, Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science 'Miller's critique is polemic but fair, sharp and entertaining. His message is that we should go back to a painstaking analysis of Vygotsky's writings and not just use his name to make our own ideas more fashionable. His detailed critique of several of the most vocal interpreters of Vygotsky's ideas will hopefully set the stage for a much-needed debate.' Rene van der Veer, Leiden University '... there is no denying the perspicacious powers evident throughout Miller's tour de force ...' Ronald A. Goodrich, Philosophical Psychology ... [Miller] brilliantly analyzes Vygotsky's original text, and then examines some of the interpretations and misrepresentations of this work ... [He] exhibits a keen understanding of Vygotsky, one that gives readers a better understanding of such key terms as 'mediated action' and 'cultural tools' ... this is a marvelous complement to Vygotsky's own Mind in Society and Thought and Language ... Highly recommended ... S. T. Schroth, Choice You do not need to agree with all Miller's claims and criticisms in order to appreciate his deep understanding of Vygotsky's original texts. Vygotsky in Perspective is required reading for everyone interested in Vygotsky's theory of consciousness. Alex Kozulin, International Institute for the Enhancement of Learning Potential A deeply argumentative tour-de-force through our contemporary interpretations of Vygotsky's ideas. Miller's is a powerful contrarian voice in the efforts to clarify how the human mind operates through the social world. Hopefully the book will trigger new interest among young scholars to solve complex theoretical issues in the social sciences that both Vygotsky and Miller have attempted to accomplish. Jaan Valsiner, Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science ... a valuable addition to the recent publications interpreting Vygotsky's work ... it is worthy of the attention of anyone interested in a social/cultural/historical account of the human mind. Katherine Nelson, PsycCRITIQUES ... there is no denying the perspicacious powers evident throughout Miller's tour de force ... Ronald A. Goodrich, Philosophical Psychology

Author Information

Ronald Miller is Emeritus Professor in the School of Psychology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. His teaching and research interests have been in the field of cognitive development with a particular focus on learning and change, especially in relation to academic literacy and access to higher education, and he has been involved in the study of Vygotsky and Piaget's theories for over 30 years.

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