The dynamics of child character
pp. 189-199
in: Robert W. Rieber, David K. Robinson (eds), The essential Vygotsky, Berlin, Springer, 2004Abstract
Because of the very way in which the question was formulated, room has not been left in psychological theory and pedagogical practice for the study of child character nor for the examination of its development and formation. The question has been approached statistically, so that character has been viewed as a steady and constant entity, always internally consistent, present, and seen as a given. Character has been understood as a status, not as a process; as a condition, and not as a formation. The classical formula of this traditional view was given by T. Ribot, who set forth two necessary and sufficient conditions for establishing an understanding of character: unity and stability. With this formula he implied a unity across time. The true sign of character, according to Ribot, is that which appears in early childhood and remains constant throughout the course of life; genuine character is innate.