Re: Vygotsky and Marx

From: Andy Blunden (ablunden@mira.net)
Date: Sat Oct 11 2003 - 16:38:42 PDT


Shirley, I am very interested in the topic you raise, but not because I
want to prove the lineage of Hegel-Marx-Vygotsky. I am spared having to
deal with people who, as you say, rip off the bits they like and discard
what they don't like (and don't understand). I agree that a straightforward
rebuttal along these lines would have its uses though. Modern social and
psychological theory owes so much to Marx and Hegel, and yet both are so
abused by the very people who use them, mostly third-hand! And Vygotsky on
the other hand is just ignored by many people who need to read him. My
interest is based on the fact that this lineage is very real, and all three
need to be thoroughly studied, and their respective interpretations of the
"lineage", in order to understand the modern condition. In my opinion,
Hegel-Marx-Vygotsky are the key writers for today.

In my recent http://home.mira.net/~andy/blackwood/fep/index.htm the debt to
Vygotsky is left entirely "between the lines". But in a recent reading of
Habermas http://home.mira.net/~andy/works/habermas-review.htm I have relied
quite explicitly on Vygotsky and in a critique of Fukuyama
http://home.mira.net/~andy/works/fukuyama.htm I deal with the common
misreadings of Hegel. In amongst all this you will find a lot of threads
dealing with you subject. Perhaps you can pick up an idea or two there.

Andy Blunden

At 04:53 PM 10/10/2003 -0700, you wrote:
>From: shirley franklin <mailto:s.franklin@mdx.ac.uk><s.franklin@mdx.ac.uk>
>To: <mailto:krocap@csulb.edu>krocap@csulb.edu
>References:
><mailto:200310091038.DAA18511264@maildrop.csulb.edu><200310091038.DAA18511264@maildrop.csulb.edu>
>
>
>Thanks Kevin,
>
>I was a rather inactive participant on the course before but couldn't
>find my details!
>I revisited as I am starting to write a short booklet for undergrads,
>parents, and interested socialists- an easy introduction to
>Vyugotsky!!! A great challenge, as most things need to be explained.
>But I want to show how Vygotsky's ideas are inter-related and are
>Marxist/Hegelian and rooted, too in Spinoza.
>I get irritated how non-marxists treat his work by taking bits of it
>to suit them, without understanding that much of it is a whole
>approach - if that makes sense.
>This stems from my students' enthusiasm about the area and my
>challenge to make the ideas accessible to my very disparate groups of
>learners.
>So if anyone would like to offer ideas, etc please get in touch
>Shirley
>
>Shirley Franklin,
>School of Lifelong Learning and Education,
>Middlesex University,
>Trent Park,
>London.
>N14 4YZ.
>Tel no: 020 7700 4975
>Mobile: 07958 745802
>
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