Re: Anti-Cartesianism

vera p john-steiner (vygotsky who-is-at unm.edu)
Mon, 18 Sep 1995 16:41:54 -0600 (MDT)

Michael,
I do not have clear answers, but here are a couple of my
observations/concerns. I recently attended a philosophy colloquium
on Descartes and mathematics. The folks present were evenly
divided on Descartes' contemporary relevance. He is an important figure
for Cartesian linguistics (and Chomsky defintely subscribes to a mind
stance that reinforces an opposition between activity and thinking
and his notions of the brain are very peculiar.) Indeed, one of the
ecntral issues for me is whether we can and do pay close attention to
developments in neuroscience as we engage in developing sociocultural
theories of mind, culture and activity. We are--most of us--more at home
in the social sciences, but cannot go much further in thinking about the
construction of the mind from/with/ linked to/united with the brain
without learning more about plasticity, etc.
My carpool is leaving.
To be continued,
Vera

---------------------------------
Vera P. John-Steiner
Department of Linguistics
Humanities Bldg. 526
University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131
(505) 277-6353 or 277-4324
Internet: vygotsky who-is-at triton.unm.edu
---------------------------------