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[REDEFINING WORK: UZNADZE’S CONTROVERSIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO PSYCHOLOGY AND LABOR] Ob aktual'nykh zadachakh i teoreticheskikh osnovakh psikhologii professii [i.e. On Current Tasks and Theoretical Foundations of Professional Psychology]

Uznadze, D.

Item #2186

Tbilisi: komunisti, 1933. 44 pp. 21,3x14,7 cm.

In original publisher’s printed wrappers. Private library stamp on the title-page and p. 44. Tears of the spine, but otherwise in a very good condition.
Scarce. First edition. 1 of 500 copies. Text in Georgian.

A groundbreaking Soviet edition exploring the relationship between human activity and labor, authored by pioneer Georgian psychologist Dimitri Uznadze (1886-1950) in 1933. The book stands as one of the boldest and most progressive psychological works of the 1930s, challenging the prevailing Soviet notion that labor was solely fueled by collective enthusiasm.
In the text, Uznadze examines the connection between human activity and labor from the prism of set theory, which he developed in the 1920s. According to this theory, psychological processes are influenced by a set of conditions—both conscious and unconscious—that prepare individuals to respond behaviorally to specific situations based on their needs and environmental context. Uznadze argues that the drive for work does not stem from basic human needs but from an individual's inherent "system of forces and abilities," which naturally activate in a specific direction and operate independently of external influences. He further introduces a differential approach to the concept of "set," illustrating that a person's readiness for labor is shaped not only by their psychophysiological traits but also by the unique combination of their abilities. Uznadze finally asserts that labor readiness is fundamentally rooted in ability rather than mere motivation.
Dimitri Uznadze was a prominent Georgian psychologist and educator, recognized as the founder of the Georgian experimental school of pedagogy and one of the first Soviet psychologists to acknowledge the existence of the unconscious mind. After being expelled from high school in Kutaisi for his involvement in the 1905 revolution, Uznadze fled to Germany, where he studied at Leipzig University. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wittenberg in 1910, focusing on the epistemology and metaphysics of Vladimir Solovev. Upon returning to Georgia in 1909, Uznadze taught history at the Kutaisi Georgian Gymnasium and served as headmaster of the Synodal Girls' School. Following the October Revolution, he played a pivotal role in establishing Tbilisi State University (TSU), where he served as a professor and head of the Department of Psychology from 1918 until his death in 1950. Uznadze significantly contributed to psychology and Soviet criminology by developing the theory of attitude and set theory. His most notable publications include “The Psychology of Set” (1966) and “Psychological Investigations” (1966). In recognition of his contributions to science, he was awarded the title of Meritorious Science Worker of Georgia in 1946.

Price: $450.00