"[Q]uietly and persistently, Piaget's constructs remain influential through the work of numerous researchers. This refreshing volume looks at the work of those heirs to controversy, picking up the threads since Piaget's death. The volume presents fundamental Piagetian concepts of evidence-based manner, indicating how these play a vital role for the developing person. An important chapter on dialectical constructivism reminds readers that Piaget is the vital link between rationalism and empiricism for cognitive science, setting the stage for future scholars to fill the gaps. Each chapter provides a thorough exploration of some aspect of the Piagetian system. Jaan Valsiner sums it up in the preface: "Piaget's ideas are wandering all over the world as they remain fresh in their richness" . . . Highly recommended."
—D. M. Chirico, Choice
“This book represents the important stage in Piagetian theory that came after Piaget. His students have advanced Piagetian theory in two main directions. The first is the reconciliation of his theory with the growing evidence of ‘neonatal competence.’ The second concerns the profound socialization of Piagetian theory. The book itself is a striking example of a fundamental Piagetian theme, the positive power of negation in the construction of knowing.”
—Alan Costall, professor of theoretical psychology, University of Portsmouth
“After Jean Piaget’s death in 1980, a host of cognitive developmental psychologists, riding a tide of resurgent nativism, hastened to proclaim the demise of the theory along with the man. Renewed interest in Vygotsky’s developmental psychology led others to dismiss Piaget’s work as insufficiently attentive to the socio-cultural context of development. It was, perhaps, inevitable, that Piaget’s intellectual stock would fall before rising again. This new book, assembling contributions by researchers who worked with Piaget or with his closest associates, evaluates Piaget’s lasting contribution both in a historical context, and in the light of contemporary research and theory. The result is a fascinating volume that attests to the diversity, productivity, and continuing dynamic force of Piaget’s legacy. This book is no hagiography, and the chapters are not exegetical essays. The weaknesses of the Piagetian project are exposed, along with its dialectical unity, and the critical stances adopted serve as starting points for a genuine renewal. After Piaget is required reading for all who take theory in developmental science seriously, and need to know about the present and the future of genetic epistemology. It is a fitting tribute both to Piaget, and to the distinguished researchers who have built upon his work.”
—Chris Sinha, president, International Cognitive Linguistics Association; editor, Language and Cognition