Epilogue

the relevance of Vygotsky's legacy

Herbert Spiegelberg

pp. 291-299

in: Manolis Dafermos, Rethinking cultural-historical theory, Berlin, Springer, 2018

Abstract

This chapter takes as its point of departure the view that Vygotsky's theory should be recontextualized and fundamentally developed as part of a much larger set of major questions arising in the early twenty-first century. It is argued that dialectics can shed light on the way to move beyond both the dogmatic and relativist forms of the reception of Vygotsky's legacy. Rethinking Vygotsky's project, taking into account the contemporary crisis in social sciences that were reproduced in a society riven by deep crises and conflicts, is an important step in this direction. Bringing together theory and practice in a dialectical way Vygotsky's project is internally connected with an active engagement in the struggle for social emancipation.