The Psychological and Pedagogical Views of G. I. Chelpanov

Abstract

Georgii Ivanovich Chelpanov (1862-1936) deserves a prominent place in the history of Russian psychology and philosophy. He began his scientific activity in Kiev (from 1892 through 1906 he was a professor of philosophy at the University of Kiev) and broadened it in Moscow. In 1907 he became a professor on the historical-philological faculty of the University of Moscow. It was there that he displayed to the full not only his scientific and pedagogical abilities but also his organizing talent. He got actively involved in the work of the Moscow Psychology Society (in which he served as deputy chairman). In 1907 he organized the University of Moscow's Psychology Seminar for students wanting to specialize in psychology; participants held detailed discussions of theoretical problems and conducted classes in experimental psychology. Under Chelpanov's supervision, classes in the Psychology Seminar caught the interest of a considerable number of participants and became widely known. This prompted the businessman an...