The Child's Conception of the World: A 20th-Century Classic of Child Psychology: A 20th-Century Classic of Child Psychology, Second Edition

408 Pages·2007·6.454 MB·English

by  Jean Piaget

Jean Piaget: SelectedWorks
VoluIne I
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The
Child's Conception
of the World
Jean Piaget
Translated by
Joan and Andrew Tomlinson
LONDONAND NEW YORK
English translation first published 1929
by Routledge
Reprinted 1997
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, 0X14 4RN
270 Madison Ave, New York NY 10016
Transferred to Digital Printing 2006
This is a reprint of the 1929 edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
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retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
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ISBN 0- 415-16887-2
ISBN 0 -415-16886-4 (Set)
Publisher’s Note
The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this
reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original
may be apparent
Printed and bound by CPI Antony Rowe, Eastbourne
J. J.
STUDENTS AND FORMER STUDENTS OF THE ROUSSEAU
INSTITUTE WHO COLLABORATED IN THIS WORK
MIle A. BODOURIAN (Chap. ii,ix and x)
Mlle G. GUEX (Chap. i, iii, vii, viii and x)
Mlle R. HEBNER (Chap. viii)
Mlle H. KRAFFT (Chap. i, iii, v, vii and ix)
Mlle E. MARGAIRAZ (Chap.-ix and x)
MIle S. PERRET (Chap. i, iii, v and viii)
Mme V. J. PIAGET (Chap. i, iii, vii and ix)
MIle M. RODRIGO (Chap. iii and ix)
MIle M. ROND (Chap. ix)
MIle N. SWETLOVA (Chap. ii, ix and x)
M. Ie Dr VERSTEEG (Chap. iii)
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CONTENTS
rAGE
INTRODUCTION.-PROBLEMS AND METHODS I
§ I. Method of tests, pure observation and the clinical
method, p. 2.-§ 2. The five types of reaction revealed
by clinicalexamination, p. IO.-§ 3. Rules and criteria
for the diagnosis of the preceding types of reaction.
p. 18.-§ 4. Rules for the interpretation of the results,
P·23·
PART I.-REALISM 33
CHAPTER I.-THE NOTION OF THOUGHT 37
§I. Thefirststage: thinkingis withthemouth, p. 39.
-§ 2. Lookingandseeing, p. 47.-§ 3. Thesecondand
third stages: thinking is with the head, p. 49.-§ 4.
Words and things, p. 55.
CHAPTER II.-NoMINAL REALISM 61
§ I. The origin of names, p. 63.-§ 2. The place of
names, p. 71.-§ 3. Theintrinsicvalueofnames, p. 80.
-§ 4. Conclusions, p. 85·
CHAPTER IIII-DREAMS 88
§I. Thefirststage: thedreamcomesfromoutsideand
remains external, p. 91.-§'2. The second stage: the
dream arises in us ourselves, but is external to us,
p. lo6.-§ 3. The third stage: the dream is internal
andofinternalorigin, p. II7.-§ 4. Conclusions,p. 119.
CHAPTER IV.-REALISM AND THE ORIGIN OF THE
IDEA OF PARTICIPATION 123
§ I. Realism and the consciousness of self, p. 124.-
§ 2. Participation and magical practices, p. 131.-
§ 3. The origins of participation and magic as mani-
fested in the child, p. I50.-§ 4. Corroborative proof:
spontaneous magical ideas in the adult, p. I62.-§ 5.
Conclusion: logical and ontological egocentricity,
p.166.
vii
viii CONTENTS
PAGE
PART II.-ANIMISM 169
CHAPTER V. - CONSCIOUSNESS ATTRIBUTED TO
THINGS 171
§ I. The first stage: all things are conscious, p. 174.
-§ 2. The second stage: things that can move are
conscious, p. I79.-§ 3. The third stage: things that
can move of their own accord are conscious, p. 182.-
§ 4. The fourth stage: consciousness is restricted to
animals, p. 185.-§ 5. Conclusions, p. 187.
CHAPTER VI.-THE CONCEPT OF LIFE" 194
U
§ I. The first stage: life is assimilated to activity in
general, p. 196.-§ 2. Thesecondstage: life is assimi
lated to movement, p. 199.-§ 3. The third and fourth
stages: life is assimilated to spontaneous movement,
then later is restricted to animals and plants, p. 201.
-§ 4. Conclusion: the notion of life," p. 204.
U
CHAPTER VII.-THE ORIGINS OF CHILD ANIMISM,
MORAL NECESSITY AND PHYSICAL DETERMINISM 207
§ I. The child's spontaneous animism, p. 207.-§ 2.
The sun and moon follow us, p. 213.-§ 3. Physical
determinism and moral necessity, p. 222.-§ 4. Con
clusions. The significance of the questions on child
animism, and the natureof U diffuseanimism," p. 228.
-§ 5. Conclusions (continued): the origins of child
animism, p. 234.
PAR1' III.-ARTIFICIALISM 253
CHAPTER VIII. - THE ORIGIN OF THE SUN AND
MOON. 256
§ I. A primitive exanlple of the first stage, p. 258.-
§ 2. The first stage: the sun and moon are made
artificially, p. 263.-~ 3. The second and the third
stages: the origin of the sun and moon is first partly,
then completely, natural, p. 272.-§ 4. The quarters
ofthemoon, p. 280.
CONTENTS ix
PAGE
CHAPTER IX. - METEOROLOGY AND THE ORIGIN OF
VVATER. 285
§ I. The sky, p. 287.-§ 2. The cause and the nature
ofnight,p.291.-§3. Theoriginoftheclouds,p.298.-
§ 4. Thunder and lightning, p. 307.-§ 5. The forma-
tion of rain, p. 311.-§ 6. The explanations of snow,
ice and cold, ? 320.-§ 7. Rivers, lakes and sea, the
primitiveorigInofwater, p. 326.
CHAPTER X.-THE ORIGIN OF TREES, MOUNTAINS
AND OF THE EARTH 333
§I. Theoriginofwoodandofplants,p.334.-§2. The
origin of iron, glass, cloth, and of paper, p. 337·-§ 3-
Theoriginofstonesand of earth, p. 339.-§ 4. Origin
ofthemountains, p. 347.
CHAPTER XI.-THE MEANING AND ORIGINS OF
CHILD ARTIFICIALISM 350
§ I. The meaning of child artillcialism, p. 350.-§ 2.
The relations of artificialism with the problem of the
birthofbabies,p.360.-§3. Thestagesofspontaneous
artificialism and their relation with the develovment
of animism, p. 369.-§ 4. The origins of artificlalism,
p. 376.-§ 5. The origins of identification and the
causes of the decline of artificialism and animism,
P·384·
ApPENDIX.-NoTE ON THE RELATIONS BETWEEN
BELIEFIN EFFICACY AND MAGIC.IN CONNECTION
WITH §§ 2 AND 3 OF CHAPTER IV 389
INDEX OF NAMES 395
GENERAL INDEX 396