Re: RE: RE: On Leontiev

From: Paul H.Dillon (illonph@pacbell.net)
Date: Fri Sep 29 2000 - 08:51:49 PDT


Phillip posted ,

> actually, yes - because the egg is part of the constraints of the
> activity - just as the structure of the eye is part of the constrait of
> sight - along with cultural notions of color and meanings of black /
> white / red / yellow - etc.

To the contrary, I think the important point is precisely that the
structure of the eye has developed as part of tool mediated activity and
adapted to that activity over the course of several million years
(particularly the eye and the hand as in the oh-so-important "hand-eye"
coordination necessary for the manipulation of tools). In general I agree
with you about the constraining character of physical reality whose inner
structure we can know through the fact of our activity, but with respect to
the physical organization of the human species itself, it must always be
seen as the product of cultural evolution at least for the past few million
years or so (maybe more). That is what the archaeological record shows us
(pace Andy).

Paul H. Dillon



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