Background information on Vygotskian theory and Vygotsky the man

pp. 1-18

in: Dorothy Robbins, Vygotsky's psychology-philosophy, Berlin, Springer, 2001

Abstract

Like all cultural phenomena, Vygotsky’s work is not amenable to being studied outside of its historical context… But it is possible to outline a two fold approach to the study of his ideas by taking the historical context into account. One can begin with the contemporary state of science and attempt to identify aspects of Vygotsky’s approach that do or do not share similarities with various theories… one can then express a preference for one or another alternative… But a second approach is also possible… It is possible to evaluate Vygotsky’s works on the basis of their internal logic. (Davydov & Radzikhovskii, 1985, pp. 36-37)