The Psychological Subject and Harré's Social Psychology

An Analysis of a Constructionist Case

Bibliographic Data

ID8975601
AuthorsCampbell L Scott (University of Calgary, corresponding author), H J Stam (0000-0002-2659-9248, University of Calgary)
Year1996
Volume26
Issue4
Pages327-352
Publication date1996-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal for the Theory of Social Behaviour (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0021-8308 • E-ISSN: 1468-5914
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/j.1468-5914.1996.tb00296.x
OpenAlexW2063604758
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited17

Taking Rom Harré's social constructionism as a focus we point to and discuss the issue of the a priori psychological subject in social constructionist theory. While Harré indicates that interacting, intending beings are necessary for conversation to occur, he assumes that the primary human reality is conversation and that psychological life emerges from this social domain. Nevertheless, we argue that a fundamental and agentive psychological subject is implicit to his constructionist works. Our critical analyses focus upon Harré's understandings of persons, human development and human agency. Our intention is neither to suggest that this latent entity must be understood in a Cartesian sense nor is it to ask for an explicit accounting of an autonomous agent. Rather, our claim is simply that psychological subjectivity is reflexively entailed in Harré's human psychology. We suggest that this pertains more generally to social constructionist theory

Agency (philosophy · Constructionism · Conversation · Epistemology · Social constructionism · Sociology · Strict constructionism · Subject (documents · Subjectivity · Academic and Historical Perspectives in Psychology · Computer Science · Philosophy · Pragmatism in Philosophy and Education · Psychology · Social Psychology · Social Representations and Identity

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