ABSTRACT
The aim of this introductory chapter is to reflect on foundations of cultural psychology as a human science, able to do both epistemological and sociopolitical and indeed moral justice to human beings thinking, feeling, acting, and living in human-made historical, social, cultural, and subjective worlds. To argue for cultural psychology as a human science means to argue for a break or rupture with regard to the dominance of natural science model in psychology. Surely, human agency needs culture. But culture also needs human agencies as subjects of representation, interpretation, evaluation, and innovation.
In the section “Culture in psyche” I analyze the basic psychological process which constitutes both human agency and culture –signification. Then I discuss two more concepts which are indispensable in conceptualizing the specificity of human experience – intentionality and life world.
In the section “Culture of culture” I analyze changes in the very concept of culture and its implication for understanding human nature and human psyche. I argue for cultural psychology as a necessary tool in creating and interpreting changes in humans and in human-made worlds, actual and possible ones – in an interminable search for meaning of human existence.
