The Heart of the Matter

A groundbreaking examination of the life and work of two of the Soviet psychology's most important thinkers.

The Heart of the Matter explores the legacies of Ilyenkov and Vygotsky, two Russian theorists who marshaled their passion for truth, enlightenment and independent thought to understand the human mind, not for the sake of knowledge alone, but to help create the conditions in which human flourishing can become a reality for all. Bakhurst renders their theories intelligible against the dramatic social and historical background in which they lived and worked, bringing their ideas into dialogue with themes and thinkers in Western philosophy to reveal how they illuminate philosophical issues of enduring significance.

ISBN: 9798888902165

Publication date: August 13, 2024

Preface
Part 1 Beginnings

1 The Riddle of the Self Revisited

2 Social Being and the Human Essence: A Dialogue with F.T. Mikhailov, V.S. Bibler, V.A. Lektorsky, and V.V. Davydov

3 Social Memory in Soviet Thought

4 The Meshcheryakov Experiment: Soviet Work on the Education of Blind–Deaf Children

Part 2 Ilyenkov

5 Punks versus Zombies: Evald Ilyenkov and the Battle for Soviet Philosophy

6 Meaning, Normativity, and the Life of the Mind

7 Ilyenkov, Education, and Philosophy

8 Ilyenkov on Aesthetics: Realism, Imagination, and the End of Art

9 Ilyenkov’s Hegel

Part 3 Vygotsky

10 Vygotsky’s Demons

11 On the Concept of Mediation

12 Vygotsky’s Concept of Perezhivanie: Its Philosophical and Educational Significance

Part 4 Contemporary Applications

13 Memory, Identity, and the Future of Cultural Psychology

14 Minds, Brains, and Education

15 Reflections on Activity Theory

16 Activity and the Search for True Materialism

17 Activity, Action, and Self-Consciousness

18 Freedom and Second Nature in The Formation of Reason

Permissions
Bibliography
Index