Mind, language and society. The case of the debate

Abstract

This study endeavors to elucidate the philosophical and pedagogical underpinnings of the debate, conceptualizing it not merely as a teaching method, but rather as an authentic educational milieu. The intention is to regard the debate as the realm in which a young individual acquires experiential learning, albeit under the guidance and mediation of educators, there by fostering the development of their essential “human” attribute— the capacity to socialize their cognitive processes. To accomplish this, the investigation draws upon the psychological theories of Vygotskij, Bruner, and the psychoanalyst Bion, who converge on a fundamental theoretical premise: the intrinsically social character of the human mind is predicated upon the intricate interplay between cognition and language.