Skip to main content
  • Book
  • © 2018

Vygotsky’s Notebooks

A Selection

  • Consists of previously unpublished manuscripts by Vygotsky
  • Summarizes the results of the first systematic study of Vygotsky’s family archive
  • Provides the historical context of many of Vygotsky’s writings
  • Includes brief biographies of key figures in Vygotsky’s career
  • Provides a uniquely complete bibliography of the scientific writings used by Vygotsky

Part of the book series: Perspectives in Cultural-Historical Research (PCHR, volume 2)

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 389.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check for access.

Table of contents (29 chapters)

  1. Front Matter

    Pages i-xxii
  2. A Tragicomedy of Strivings

    • Ekaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 1-9
  3. Jewry and World History

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 11-19
  4. The Book of Fragments

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 21-40
  5. The Jewish Question

    • Ekaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 41-49
  6. Genres of Writing

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 51-55
  7. The Trip to London

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 57-70
  8. From the Zakharino Hospital

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 71-106
  9. Toward Cultural–Historical Theory

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 107-114
  10. The Instrumental Method

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 115-128
  11. Concepts and the Systemic Approach

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 129-154
  12. The Anomalous Development of the Child

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 155-175
  13. From the EDI Clinic

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 177-207
  14. Spinoza and the Problem of Higher Emotions

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 209-236
  15. Observing Asya

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 237-241
  16. The Study of Consciousness

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 243-250
  17. From Sign to Meaning and Sense

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 251-270
  18. The Problem of Consciousness

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 271-290
  19. The Semic Method

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 291-309
  20. The Result of Many Years of Work

    • Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer
    Pages 311-318

About this book

This book consists of previously unpublished manuscripts by Vygotsky found in the first systematic study of Vygotsky’s family archive. The notebooks and scientific diaries gathered in this volume represent all periods of Vygotsky’s scientific life, beginning with the earliest manuscript, entitled The tragicomedy of strivings (1912), and ending with his last note, entitled Pro domo sua (1934), written shortly before his death. The notes reveal unknown aspects of the eminent psychologist’s personality, show his aspirations and interests, and allow us to gain insights into the development of his thinking and its internal dynamics. Several texts reflect the plans that Vygotsky was unable to realize during his lifetime, such as the creation of a theory of emotions and a theory of consciousness, others reveal Vygotsky’s involvement in activities that were previously unknown, and still others provide outlines of papers and lectures. The notes are presented in chronological order, preceded bybrief introductions and accompanied by an extensive set of notes. The result is a book that allows us to obtain a much deeper understanding of Vygotsky’s innovative ideas. 

Editors and Affiliations

  • Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

    Еkaterina Zavershneva

  • Faculty of Education, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

    René van der Veer

About the editors

René van der Veer graduated in experimental psychology at the Free University of Amsterdam in 1975 and obtained his PhD in psychology in 1985 with a dissertation about Vygotsky. He is currently a professor of the history of education at Leiden University, and his research interests include the history of attachment theory, cultural-historical theory and the history of childcare advice. His books include Understanding Vygotsky  (with Valsiner, 1991), and Lev Vygotsky (2007).

Ekaterina Zavershneva graduated at Moscow State University in 1996 and defended her candidate dissertation on the crisis in contemporary psychology in 2004. She is the author of many works in the interdisciplinary field of methodology, theory, and history of psychology and specializes in cultural-historical psychology. She is an acknowledged expert on the Vygotsky family archive, a topic on which she has published articles and chapters in several languages.

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Vygotsky’s Notebooks

  • Book Subtitle: A Selection

  • Editors: Еkaterina Zavershneva, René van der Veer

  • Series Title: Perspectives in Cultural-Historical Research

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-4625-4

  • Publisher: Springer Singapore

  • eBook Packages: Education, Education (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2018

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-981-10-4623-0Published: 31 January 2018

  • Softcover ISBN: 978-981-13-5185-3Published: 09 February 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-981-10-4625-4Published: 24 January 2018

  • Series ISSN: 2520-1530

  • Series E-ISSN: 2520-1549

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XXII, 523

  • Number of Illustrations: 6 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Educational Psychology, Child and School Psychology, History of Psychology

Buy it now

Buying options

eBook USD 389.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book USD 499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book USD 499.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access