Manolis Dafermos - Böcker

Contemporary thinkers and researchers from different parts of the world involved in achieving human development employ Vygotsky’s theory in order to deal with new social challenges arising in a global but deeply divided world (Santos, 2000; Souza e Santos, 2008; Martín-Baró, 1998). The chapters of this book shed light onto Vygotsky’s initial principles adding critical and social perspectives as a way of expanding his legacy to global contemporary needs such as a critical reflection from the perspective of social change, social dynamics and human development, ethical-political situations of action power, dialectic relationship of the human being with society, contradictions in an individual’s dramatic life events and awareness of the social environment to actively change the existing forms of life.

Contemporary thinkers and researchers from different parts of the world involved in achieving human development employ Vygotsky’s theory in order to deal with new social challenges arising in a global but deeply divided world (Santos, 2000; Souza e Santos, 2008; Martín-Baró, 1998). The chapters of this book shed light onto Vygotsky’s initial principles adding critical and social perspectives as a way of expanding his legacy to global contemporary needs such as a critical reflection from the perspective of social change, social dynamics and human development, ethical-political situations of action power, dialectic relationship of the human being with society, contradictions in an individual’s dramatic life events and awareness of the social environment to actively change the existing forms of life.

This book provides a thorough and panoramic exploration of dialectics, presenting it as both a mode of thought and a method of inquiry deeply embedded in the history of human thought. Rather than treating dialectics as a fixed system of abstract principles, the book underscores both its dynamic character and its historical development. Through careful examination of pivotal moments in dialectics across diverse historical periods and intellectual traditions, the book illuminates how dialectics has continually evolved to address the pressing intellectual and social challenges of each era. By tracing the historical trajectory of dialectics from its ancient, spontaneous forms to its modern expressions, the book highlights the significant transformations it has undergone over time.The book also addresses the growing crisis in many fields dominated by reductionist and narrowly empirical approaches, which have proved inadequate for capturing the complexity and dynamism of developmental processes. In response, it points to a resurgence of interest in dialectics as a powerful methodological alternative.  A central claim of the book is that the full potential of dialectics remains largely unrealised. Far from being an obsolete relic of the past, dialectics emerges as an essential method, particularly for the study of complex, dynamic systems. Ultimately, the book reconstructs the historical trajectory of dialectics and advocates its vital role in confronting the epistemological and methodological challenges of contemporary inquiry in an ever-changing world.

It offers readers the opportunity to critically reflect on the process of development of Vygotsky's research program from the perspective of dialectics, focusing on the dramatic process of building and rebuilding cultural historical theory.