Structuralism

Author: (Switzerland) Piaget
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1984-11-01
Features: Structuralism was translated based on the 7th edition (part of the 117,000 series) published in 1979. The original text does not include a preface or introduction, nor does it state that any revisions were made after the first edition in 1968. In the French academic world, a serious scholarly work is considered a bestseller if it sells 2,000 to 3,000 copies. Yet Structuralism, a book that is relatively difficult to understand, has been reprinted seven times, demonstrating its significant influence. However, structuralism as a school of thought and the author of this book are relatively unfamiliar to Chinese readers. Therefore, the translator wishes to provide some introduction here. Piaget was a renowned child psychologist, but he was far more than just a psychologist—he was also a polymath with expertise in mathematics, logic, physics, biology, psychology, sociology, the history of science, and philosophy. After earning his doctorate in natural sciences in 1918 (when he was 22) by studying invertebrates, he turned to psychology and became famous. In 1949, he revolutionized logic, and in 1950, he published Introduction to Genetic Epistemology, a three-volume work. In 1968, he published Structuralism, which is part of his "genetic epistemology." Piaget placed particular emphasis on the study of psychological intelligence. From 1929 to 1939, he served as an associate professor of the history of scientific thought at the University of Geneva. Starting in the 1930s, he regarded the most advanced scientific cognition as the result of biological adaptation evolution from animals to humans, inheriting the functionalist approach pioneered by Claparede in the Geneva School. In his research on the development of various concepts (spatial-temporal, motion, causality, quantity, language, logical thinking, etc.) in child psychology, he always kept in mind the relationship with the most advanced scientific concepts (such as Einstein's theory of relativity). By the 1950s, he had preliminarily established his "genetic epistemology" [we will henceforth refer to it simply as "genetic epistemology": because the epistemology in genetic epistemology refers only to scientific epistemology, not philosophical epistemology—it is a prelude to philosophical epistemology but not the usual (philosophical) epistemology]. In genetic epistemology, the highest stage is the most advanced scientific cognition (and it opens the door to even more advanced scientific cognition in the future). The most advanced scientific cognition today, in terms of its concepts, methods, principles, hypotheses, etc., varies greatly in specific aspects, and new disciplines are still sprouting up like mushrooms after rain. However, from the perspective of the history of psychology or cognitive development, do they share some common points? What is the level of this advanced cognition so far? These are the questions that Piaget was bound to address. No one had previously conducted a comprehensive and integrated study to answer these questions, so he himself took on the task. The Structuralism we have translated is the product of such an effort.