Lev Naumenko

1
Dialectic of activity and theoretic psychology

• Lev Naumenko
• Alexander Surmava

2

• Theoretic psychology per se can exist only as
  dialectic one. That means, deliberately based on
  opposite, mutually exclusive definitions of its
  object. Those definitions are objective and
  subjective. Conditions of identity of those
  definitions which hold true their polar
  opposition outline the subject of research of
  theoretic psychology. The main and dominant
  category for theoretic psychology is not
  objectiveness or subjectiveness but
  subjectness.

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• Oppositions regarded per se, isolated, inevitably
  turn into each other the left glove being turned
  inside out becomes the right glove. Such
  dialectic brings a theory to a dead end of
  relativism one and the same glove becomes
  right or left according to our arbitrary
  point of view from outside or from inside.
  Taken from outside the subject matter of
  psychology is a body i.e. an aggregate of
  physical, chemical and neurophysiological acts
  and behavioral reactions something
  observable. Taken from inside it is
  subjective reality, i.e. something only
  subjectively experienced, phenomenal or
  introspective. Two pictures of one and the same
  dont combine into one. The opposition of
  objective and subjective methods is a curse
  of psychology since Aristotle till our days. This
  curse is unresolved psychophysical problem.

4

• The very term dialectic psychology is not a
  characteristic of an approach, it is not a
  visual angle or a combination of research
  methods or procedures. It characterizes the very
  object of psychology. The specific problem of
  psychology is that its object is a subject. The
  first definition excludes the second one. One can
  hardly find the analogy in nonbiological natural
  science. The scientific psychology tries to
  find causal explanation of psychic phenomena
  consequently coming to understanding of psyche as
  epiphenomenon of physical acts. Causal
  explanation refers the phenomenon to something
  external, reduces psychic to physic and
  physiologic. The legitimacy of such psychology is
  based on causality. This approach is in flagrant
  contradiction with facts because the attributive
  qualities of psyche are seeking, choice,
  aspiration, pursuing one's object i.e.
  selfdetermination. Without hesitation we reject
  any automatism as a psychic phenomenon.

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• The opposite approach starts from subjective
  reality and thus dooms psychology to mere
  description, deprives it of the theoretic status.
  All attempts to think causally brings psychology
  back to physical hidden under mask of
  unconscious i.e. to reductionism.

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• The genuine dialectic identity of oppositions
  supposes finding out and investigation of such
  reality in which one of the opposite sides posits
  the other, escaping degeneration into it. For
  theoretic psychology this reality is vital
  activity, i.e. spontaneous (selfdetermining)
  object oriented (predmetnaja or gegenständlich)
  activity including the positing of object of
  alive creature on one pole and positing the
  subject quality of this creature on the opposite
  pole. The state of organic need (hunger, thirst)
  gains an objective modus. Object loses its
  neutrality and gains vital meaning, a status of
  subject. Subject is objectifying, while object is
  subjectifying. In this process subjective and
  objective are mere phase state of object
  oriented life activity. Ignoring this dialectic
  researcher finds himself in the situation when
  one of his/her eyes is looking outside, while the
  other one inside, one is fixing observable,
  while the other his/her own state. Psychophysical
  parallelism doesnt put forward a parallelism of
  processes but a perpendicularity of approaches.
  The task is to find and to investigate such an
  objective reality which indispensably posits
  adequate subjective reality i.e. psyche which
  serves a living process. The category of object
  oriented life activity gives the possibility to
  unite objective and subjective, human and
  animal psychology.

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• For objective psychology the observable exists
  only as a code or as an aggregate of signs, or as
  a language. Meanings of those signs exist outside
  the realm of observable. A researcher finds those
  meanings or senses in his/her inner
  introspective experience. Otherwise he/she finds
  himself/herself as a physiologist.
• In the same time those psychologists who start
  from senses or meanings have to apply to
  external experience to perceive signs. The
  absurdity of the situation in traditional
  psychology consists of putting signs in one
  reality (objective), while the meanings into
  another one (in subjective).

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• Dialectic psychology overcomes this threshold
  putting both sings and meanings into one and the
  same reality. The neutral element of the
  environment transforms into a sign in the moment
  when it acquires the objective (e.g. biological)
  meaning. In the same time the condition of a
  subject acquires an objective (gegenständlich)
  meaning one is represented in another. So called
  subjective reality is the state of a subject
  presented in an object, and vice versa objective
  reality is presented in the state of the subject.
  This mutual shining of two opposite sides in
  each other is the essence of dialectic of
  activity.

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• Dialectic psychology is based on an idea of a
  subject understood as a special type of an object
  - as an active, alive, object oriented creature.
  The objective causality in such subject doesnt
  eliminate itself, but acquires modified, inverted
  form the form of active self determined act.
  Thus character of vital activity determines the
  specific character of psyche.