Cognitive Development And Epistemology

Cognitive Development and Epistemology is a collection of papers delivered at a conference attended by psychologists and philosophers to explore broad issues relating to the conceptual framework needed for the explanation of human actions. The meeting is held at the State University of New York at Binghamton in September 1969. The compendium is divided into three sections. Part I deals with the relevance which the genetic study of concept development may have for the analysis of concepts. This sets the framework for subsequent discussion. The second part examines some of the specific issues in intellectual, moral, and emotional development with which a theory of cognitive development must deal. The last part seeks to assess the adequacy and relevance of this genetic developmental approach for an understanding of adult cognitive behavior. Philosophers and psychologists in the field of cognitive development and epistemology will find the text insightful.

Epistemic cognition, the philosophical core of metacognition, concerns people’s knowledge about the justification and truth of beliefs. Multiple literatures in psychology and education address aspects of epistemic cognition. In the absence of a coherent conceptual framework, however, these literatures mostly fail to communicate with each other and often connect only loosely to genuine epistemology. This complicates any effort to achieve a systematic theoretical understanding of epistemic cognition and its development. Deanna Kuhn writes in her foreword, "Moshman is not the first to take on this challenge, but he fulfills it elegantly and, I think, the most comprehensively and astutely." After reviewing the basics of philosophical epistemology and cognitive psychology, Epistemic Cognition and Development provides a compelling account of developmental change across childhood and beyond in knowledge about knowledge, especially with regard to fundamental conceptions of objectivity, subjectivity, rationality, justification, and truth. This is followed by detailed consideration of domain-specific epistemologies of science, logic, morality, social convention, history, and identity, including associated forms of reasoning. The final section provides theoretical conclusions, educational and social applications, and suggestions for further research.

In the past knowledge was considered static, but epistemologists now take that as soon as an entity of knowledge crystallizes it must dissolve again in the current of new developments of understanding. Here Piaget brings scientific analysis, without philosophical presuppositions, to bear on the understanding of knowledge as a process. This approach to knowledge underlines the benefits of interdisciplinary studies; and Piaget puts forward specific proposals for cooperation between philosophy, linguistics, cybernetics, political economy, demography, logic, epistemology and experimental teaching methods. It is the contention of this great theoretician that such interdisciplinary work could lead to a whole "circle of sciences", in which wide-ranging disciplines would link hands in a general theory of knowledge. -- Back cover.

This book was first published in 1977.

This book is the outcome of a long and passionate debate among world experts about two of the most pivotal figures of psychology: Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotksy. The occasion was a week-long advanced course held at the Jean Piaget Archives in Geneva. The most interesting outcome of the meeting is that, in spite of differences in aims and scopes (epistemogenesis versus psychogenesis), in units of analysis (events versus action) and in social contents (Swiss capitalism versus Soviet communism) both Piaget and Vygotsky reached a similar conclusion: knowledge is constructed within a specific material and social context. Moreover, their views complement each other perfectly: where Vygotsky insists on varieties of psychological experiences, Piaget shows how, out of diversity, grows universality, so much so that the most communist of the two is not necessarily the one who was so labelled. This book is not only of interest to developmental, social and learning psychologists, but also deals with issues pertinent to education, epistemology, language, thought and cognition, anthropology and philosophy. It is likely to shed some light on the state of affairs in psychology for the general reader too, because it is clear and precise, straightforward and uses virtually no jargon.

First published in 1997. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The Handbook of Epistemic Cognition brings together leading work from across disciplines, to provide a comprehensive overview of an increasingly important topic: how people acquire, understand, justify, change, and use knowledge in formal and informal contexts. Research into inquiry, understanding, and discovery within academic disciplines has progressed from general models of conceptual change to a focus upon the learning trajectories that lead to expert-like conceptualizations, skills, and performance. Outside of academic domains, issues of who and what to believe, and how to integrate multiple sources of information into coherent and useful knowledge, have arisen as primary challenges of the 21st century. In six sections, scholars write within and across fields to focus and advance the role of epistemic cognition in education. With special attention to how researchers across disciplines can communicate and collaborate more effectively, this book will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the future of knowledge and knowing. Dr. Jeffrey A. Greene is an associate professor of Learning Sciences and Psychological Studies in the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. William A. Sandoval is a professor in the division of Urban Schooling at the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies. Dr. Ivar Bråten is a professor of Educational Psychology at the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Oslo, Norway.

First published in 1983. This volume is drawn from the Tenth Annual Symposium of the Jean Piaget Society. The theme of that Symposium, selected by the Board of Directors of the Society, was Piaget and the Foundations of Knowledge. The goal of the Symposium was to provide a critical discussion of Piaget's views on the origins of knowledge, and to identify alternatives to those views.