S. L. Rubinštejn and the Philosophical Foundations of Soviet Psychology

194 Pages·1968·6.134 MB·English

by  T. R. Payne (auth.)

SOVIETICA
MONOGRAPHS OF THE INSTITUTE OF EAST-EUROPEAN STUDIES
UNIVERSITY OF FRIBOURG / SWITZERLAND
Edited by
J. M. BOCHENSKI
S. L. RUBINSTEJN AND THE PHILOSOPHICAL
FOUNDATIONS OF SOVIET PSYCHOLOGY
T.R.PAYNE
v
S. L. RUBINSTEJN AND
THE PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS
OF SOVIET PSYCHOLOGY
D. REIDEL PUBLISHING COMPANY / DORDRECHT-HOLLAND
ISBN-13: 978-94-010-3458-6 e-ISBN-13: 978-94-010-3456-2
DOT: 10.1007/978-94-010-3456-2
© 1968. D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland
Softcover reprint of the hardcover I 5t edition 1968
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint,
microfilm, or any other means, without permission from the publisher
TO MY FATHER AND MOTHER
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS X
INTRODUCTION 1
I. THE SOURCES OF SOVIET PSYCHOLOGICAL THEOR Y 3
A. Introduction 3
Historical Background 3
B. Russian Physiological Psychology 6
1. Ivan Mixajlovic Secenov (1829-1905) 6
2. Vladimir Mixajlovic Bexterev (1857-1927) 9
3. Ivan Petrovic Pavlov (1849-1936) 12
4. Conclusion on Russian Physiological Psychology 17
C. Marxist-Leninist Philosophy 17
1. Materialism 18
a. Marx 18
b. Engels 20
c. Lenin 22
2. Dialectics 23
3. The Marxist-Leninist Theory of Knowledge 25
4. Conclusion on Marxist-Leninist Philosophy 27
D. Pavlovism and Marxist-Leninist Philosophy 29
II. THE DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY IN
THE SOVIET UNION 38
A. Introduction 38
B. The Mechanist Period: 1917-30 39
1. The Elimination of 'Idealism': 1917-24 39
2. The Predominance of Mechanism: 1924-30 40
3. The Mechanist Controversy 43
C. The Dialectical Period: 1930-50 46
1. The Period of Transition: 1930-36 46
2. The Triumph of Dialectics: 1936-50 49
VII
RUBINSTEJN AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF SOVIET PSYCHOLOGY
D. The Pavlovian Period: since 1950 52
E. Concluding Remarks 61
III. THE LIFE AND WORK OF S. L. RUBINSTEJN 68
A. Life 68
1. Schooling and Philosophical Formation 68
2. Academic and Professional Career 70
B. Literary Activity 71
1. Up to the Pavlov Conference 71
2. After the Pavlov Conference 74
C. Summary 76
IV. THE RECONSTRUCTION OF PSYCHOLOGY 78
A. Psychology and Marxist-Leninist Philosophy 78
1. The Crisis in Psychology 79
2. The Basis for Reconstruction 82
3. A New Concept of the Psychic 83
4. The Unity of Consciousness and Behaviour 84
a. Subject to Object 84
b. Object to Subject 85
(i) Consciousness Reflects Objective Reality 85
(ii) The Evolution of Consciousness 87
5. Recapitulation 93
B. The Pavlovization of Psychology - A New Synthesis 94
1. The Aspects of the Psychic 97
2. Ideal Reflection and Materialistic Monism 101
a. Cognition as Relation of Subject and Object 101
b. The Psychic Obeys All the Laws of Matter 101
c. Reflection as a General Property of Matter 102
3. Conclusion: the Nature of the Psychic 106
V. THE PSYCHIC AND THE EXTERNAL WORLD 117
A. Introduction 117
B. Reflection and Ideal Image 118
Knowledge and Practice 120
C. The Object of Knowledge 121
D. The Subject of Knowledge 123
VIII
T ABLE OF CONTENTS
1. The Basic Mode of Existence of the Psychic 123
2. The Levels of Cognitive Activity 126
a. The Level of Sense Knowledge 126
b. The Level of Thought 128
c. Thought and Speech 129
3. The Basic Cognitive Operations 131
a. Analysis 132
b. Synthesis 133
c. Abstraction 134
d. Generalization 135
4. The Problem of Personality 137
E. The Psychic as Opposed to the External W orId 138
1. The Psychic as Ideal 138
2. The Psychic as Subjective 142
F. Conclusion and Critique: Psychic Phenomena as Ideal
Reflection 145
VI. PSYCHIC ACTIVITY AND THE BRAIN 153
A. Introduction 153
B. The Psychic as a Function of the Brain 154
C. The Principle of Psycho-Physical Unity 155
D. The Psychic as Higher Nervous Activity 157
1. Development of Rubinstejn's Thought 157
2. The Reflex Conception of the Psychic 158
a. Psychic Activity is Reflex Cerebral Activity 158
b. Psychic Activity is Higher Nervous Activity 159
3. The Theory of Dynamic Localization 161
E. Conclusion and Critique: The Theory of Constitutive
Relationism 162
CONCLUSION 166
BOOKS AND ARTICLES BY s. L. RUBINSTEJN 172
SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY 176
SUBJECT INDEX 181
NAME INDEX 183
IX
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
AN Akademija nauk [Academy of Sciences: of the USSR unless otherwise
specified]
BSE Bol'saja sovetskaja enciklopedija [Large Soviet Encyclopaedia]
FN Naucnye doklady vyssej skoly, Filosofskie nauki [Scientific Reports of
the Higher Schools, Philosophical Sciences]
IF Institut filosofii [Institute of Philosophy: of the Academy of Sciences of
the USSR]
Izd. Izdatel'stvo [Publishing House]
kng. kniga [book]
L. Leningrad
LGPI Leningradskij gosudarstvennyj pedagogieeskij institut [Leningrad State
Pedagogical Institute]
M. Moskva
MGU Moskovskij gosudarstvennyj universitet [Moscow State University]
MSE Malaja sovetskaja enciklopedija [SmaIl Soviet Encyclopaedia]
PZM Pod znamenem marksizma [Under the Banner of Marxism]
red. redaktor [editor 1
RSFSR Rossijskaja Sovetskaja Federativnaja Socialisticeskaja Respublika
[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic]
Ss. Sbornik statej [coIJection of articles]
Sov. Ped. Sovetskaja pedagogike [Soviet Pedagogy]
VF Voprosy filosofii [Questions of Philosophy]
VP Voprosy psixologii [Questions of Psychology]
vyp. vypusk [part, number]
x
INTRODUCTION
This work is intended as an introduction to the study of Soviet psy
chology. In it we have tried to present the main lines of Soviet psycho
logical theory, in particular, the philosophical principles on which that
theory is founded.
There are surprisingly few books in English on Soviet psychology, or,
indeed, in any Western European language. The works that exist usually
take the form of symposia or are collections of articles translated from
Soviet periodicals. The most important of these are Psychology in the
Soviet Union (ed. by Brian Simon), Recent Soviet Psychology (ed. by Neil
O'Connor) and Soviet Psychology, A Symposium (ed. by Ralf Winn).
Raymond Bauer has also edited an interesting symposium entitled Some
Views on Soviet Psychology.
Only two systematic studies of Soviet psychology have been published
to date: Joseph Wortis' Soviet Psychiatry and Raymond Bauer's The New
Man in Soviet Psychology. Both are valuable introductions to Soviet
psychology; Bauer's book, in particular, gives a good account of the
debates on psychological theory in the Soviet Union in the nineteen
twenties and -thirties. Both, however, are somewhat out of date. There
are also a number of interesting articles written by Ivan D. London and
Gregory Razran, which give general surveys of particular periods or
aspects of Soviet psychology. These have been listed in the bibliography.
However, none of the works mentioned deal specifically with philo
sophical issues. In fact the conviction is widespread among psychologists
in the West that philosophical problems lie outside the domain of the
professional psychologist. Consequently, one finds a general underesti
mation and frequently a profound misunderstanding of the philosophical
aspects of Soviet psychology.
We are firmly convinced that a complete understanding of Soviet
psychology is impossible without an appreciation of the philosophical
principles on which it is founded. As Gregory Razran has remarked:
"Unlike most of his American colleagues, the Soviet psychologist is really
not just a laboratory experimentalist, a fact finder who finds facts to be
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used somewhere, by someone, sometime. He is above all a scientific
worker who is to further and promote the cause of Socialist construction.
He has first principles with which he starts, objectives towards which he
strives, and selects his hypotheses, facts and conclusions accordingly"
('Psychology in the USSR', Journal ofP hilosophy 32, 1935, 19). The point
at issue is not whether philosophical issues are foreign to psychology but
whether Soviet psychology can be fully understood apart from such issues.
We believe that it cannot.
The purpose of this work is to discuss the philosophical foundations
of Soviet psychological theory. The treatment of this subject is more
expository than critical, though the task of giving a general account of
Soviet psychological theory necessarily involves a certain element of
evaluation. The method adopted is somewhat unusual. Rather than at
tempt to give an overall account of the philosophical aspects of Soviet
psychological theory, we have chosen instead to study these questions as
they are discussed in the works of one particular Soviet writer.
The reasons for choosing this method are two-fold. To attempt to give
an overall account of Soviet psychological theory would require documen
tation which, particularly for the earlier period, is not readily available.
In the second place, to attempt to give such an account without a pre
liminary study of the works of the major Soviet writers on psychological
theory would certainly lead to many unjustified generalizations.
S. L. Rubinstejn has been chosen as the subject for this study chiefly
because he was, until his death in 1960, the most influential writer on
psychological theory in the Soviet Union. His works, moreover, cover
all the major aspects of Soviet psychological theory, and though it is
doubtful if he can be called a 'great' philosopher, his writings manifest
a depth and originality of thought impressive by any standard.
Four chapters have been devoted to the study of Rubinstejn's thought.
The better to situate his work, the actual study of Rubinstejn's thought
has been prefaced by a short section, consisting of two chapters, on the
nature and history of Soviet psychology. The first chapter deals with the
sources of Soviet psychological theory, while the second is an abbreviated
account of the development of psychological theory in the Soviet Union.
A list of the works of Rubinstejn is given at the end of this work,
together with a select bibliography of Soviet works on psychology and
of other non-Russian works consulted.
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