Leontiev and the Sorbonne connection

From: Elhammoumi (elham@rockymountnc.com)
Date: Tue Sep 26 2000 - 10:48:38 PDT


Colleagues,

Consciousness, activity and personality (first appeared in Russian in 1975)
is the last manuscript of Leontiev's scientific production. This manuscript
is not a book, it is a summary and a consclusion of Leontiev long journey
in the field of psychological science. It is not easy to read, therefore,
the reader must revisit the previous works such as Problems of Mental
Development and others books, articles, papers, etc.
Mike has right, when he stated, that we must bring in the discussions
colleagues from Europe. Leontiev Sorbonne connection is capital to our
discussions of "Consciousness, activity and personality". I had the
oppotunity to attend a series of seminars between 1979-1987, in which
Leontiev ideas were discussed by the close friends of Leontiev such as Rene
Zazzo, Dimitri Voustsinas, Robert Pages among others.
In his article "Homage to Leontiev", Zazzo described in details the
struggle of leontiev as well as the problems within Soviet psychology (See,
Zazzo, R. (1982). Nécrologie: Alexis Leontiev [Necrology: Alexis Leontiev].
Année Psychologique, 82, 537-546, as well as Dimitri Voutsinas seminal
reflection of Marxist psychology in Bulletin de Psychologie between
1960-1992).

This message is directed to Engestrom:

If you are still in Paris enjoying Saint Michel and Saint German cafe, it
would
be a good idea to contact Bianka Zazzo (Rene Zazzo's wife) at l'Ecole
Pratique des Hautes
Etudes, 41, Rue Gay-Lussac or at Nanterre University about the unpublished
documents of 1955 visit to Moscow, as well as the archives or
correspondence between Leontev and Zazzo. Leontiev had close contact with
Zazzo, and he shared with him the unofficial side of Soviet psychology.
Zazzo was an active member of the French Communist Party. Zazzo was a
student of Henri Wallon. As you know, Vygotsky drew heavily on Wallon's
work. Wallon was the first who elaborated a systematic Marxist psychology.
His theoretical conceptualization of a Marxist psychology shaped the works
of Politzer's Concrete Psychology and Vygotsky's Cultural-historical
Theory. Vygotsky was very familiar with the works of these two Marxist
psychologists and he used many concepts developed by them.

In April and May 1955, the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences at Moscow
invited three leading Western psychologists: Paul Fraisse, Jean Piaget and
Rene Zazzo to Moscow. It was the first official invitation and open
dialogue with Western psychology. During their visit to Moscow, Paul
Fraisse, Jean Piaget and Rene Zazzo had engaging and fruitful discussions
with Leontiev, Luria, Rubinstein, Smirnov and Tepov. At the end of the last
meeting, Leontev told Paul Fraisse, Jean Piaget and Rene Zazzo that we need
your help to make our views known in world psychology. Leontiev's call was
directed to Zazzo.
 
Back to Paris, Zazzo published a report about his visit to Moscow in the
review La Raison in which he pointed out that Pavlovism was not the only
force in Soviet Psychology; there were other forces with well established
theoretical frameworks within Marxist psychology. The reaction of Soviet
Moscow was very bad. Leontev flew to Paris and called Zazzo. During their
conversations, Leontiev told Zazzo that his article irritated our comrades
in Moscow and asked him to rectify his article. Zazzo told him that he had
written exactly what they had discussed and agreed upon. Leontiev asked him
to rectify his ideas because the article put him in hot water. Finally,
Zazzo accepted and rectified some ideas in the article. Leontiev took the
article back to Moscow and republished saying there had been a mistake in
translation. Leontiev had good contact with the Sorbonne University. He
lectured and published many papers in French. (Leontiev was very fluent in
French).
I think the Sorbonne connection will help us to understand the unknown
story of Soviet psychology and Leontiev theoretical framework. For example
the 1966-1969 series of Lucien Seve's articles (for example, Psychology and
Marxism, 1966, no. 180, .... Marxism and theory of Personality, no.26 ) in
the review La Nouvelle Critique played major role in Leontev fifth chapter
"Activity and Personality". The chapter was written in the light of Seve's
new conceptualization of the Marxist theory of personality. The reader of
chapter 5 will find that Leontiev had successfuly absorbed and integrated
in his theoretical framework Seve's formulations.
More ideas will be added during the discussions.
Mohamed Elhammoumi



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