Mind, Language, Activity: the Problem of Consciousness

Abstract

In my paper I show the relevance of cultural-activity theory for solving the
puzzles of the concept of consciousness which encounter contemporary philosophy.
I reconstruct the main categories of cultural-activity theory as developed by
M.M. Bakhtin, L.S. Vygotsky, G.H. Mead, and J. Dewey. For the concept of
consciousness the most important thing is that the phenomenon of human
consciousness is consider to be an effect of intersection of language, social
relations, and activity. Therefore consciousness cannot be reduced to merely
sensual experience but it has to be treated as a complex process in which
experience is converted into language expressions which in turn are used for
establishing interpersonal relationships. Consciousness thus can be accounted
for by its reference to objectivity of social relationships rather than to the
world of physical or biological phenomena.