Sociological Studies

Piaget is generally presented as someone who took insufficient account of social factors in psychology. However, this work in Sociological Studies shows this to be false. Not previously published in English, Sociological Studies has been translated by a team of internationally distinguished Piaget scholars. It is a classic text exploring the role of social experience in the development of understanding and the structural similarities between the social and the psychological. How does a rational mind attain truth? This is the central question addressed by Piaget in Sociological Studies. It concerns the developmental mechanism which makes possible both the acquisition of available knowledge and the creation of novel knowledge. Social orthodoxy, the rigid conformity of closed societies, ideological fervour and the power of tradition are familiar social phenomena. But none provides a guarantee of truth. Piaget's question, then, concerns how the developing mind comes to understand that some available beliefs are true rather than false, and how one generation comes to replace false values by true values. There is a widely held belief that Piaget's work offers, at best, an incomplete account of the social basis for the formation of knowledge. Sociological Studies shows that this is untrue and reveals how Piaget examines the extent to which psycho-social experience contributes to the development of rationality Jean Piaget is one of the greatest names in psychology. A knowledge of his ideas is essential for all in psychology and education. Sociological Studies is one of his major works to remain untranslated. Now an international team of Piaget experts has got together to ensure that this important work is available in English. This classic text, exploring the role of social experience in the development of understanding, shows the general perception of Piaget as someone who took insufficient account of social factors in psychology to be false. In this first English translation, an international team of Piagetian scholars has ensured that this important text is available for wider analysis. Sociological Studies highlights the continuing relevance of Piaget's work today Jean Piaget ; Edited By Leslie Smith ; Translated By Terrance Brown ... [et Al.]. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes.