[Xmca-l] The Anatomy of the Ape

[David Kellogg]

Vygotsky cites, in the Historical Meaning of the Crisis of Psychology,
Marx's rather cryptic remark in the Grundrisse about human anatomy holding
the key to the anatomy of the ape. He uses this elsewhere (in his
discussions of psychotechnics and pedology) and obviously finds it an
important remark. More, he is perfectly aware of its non-teleological
character: he knows that saying that humans developed from apes is not the
same thing as saying that apes are fated to become humans.

But how did Vygotsky know this? As far as I can figure out, the Grundrisse
wasn't published until 1939, five years after Vygotsky's death. Did
Vygotsky have privileged access? Or is there some other place where Marx
says this that I don't know about?

David Kellogg