László Garai (29 August 1935 — 25 May 2019) was a scholar of

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

: studies

theoretical psychology Theoretical psychology is concerned with theoretical and philosophical aspects of psychology. It is an Interdisciplinarity, interdisciplinary field with a wide scope of study. It focuses on combining and incorporating existing and developing theorie ...

social psychology Social psychology is the scientific study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people or by social norms. Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the r ...

and

economic psychology Behavioral economics studies the effects of Psychology, psychological, cognitive bias, cognitive, emotional, cultural and social factors on the decision making, decisions of individuals or institutions, such as how those decisions vary from t ...

Early life

Garai was born in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

. He graduated in philosophy and psychology from the Faculty of Arts of

Budapest University Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population of ...

(1959). He obtained his Candidate degree from the

Hungarian Academy of Sciences The Hungarian Academy of Sciences ( hu, Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, MTA) is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest, between Széchenyi rakpart and Akadémia utca. Its ma ...

with a thesis on a ''specifically human basic need'' (1968). He obtained his Doctor of Science degree from the Hungarian Academy of Science with a thesis on social identity and paradoxes of its psychic elaboration (1988).

Teaching

Moscow State Univ. (1969—theoretical psychology) Nice Univ. (from 1981—social psychology) California State Univ. (Bakersfield and San Bernardino, 1990—economic psychology) University of Szeged (formerly: Attila Jozsef Univ. – 1994-2005; from 1997 – prof. of economic psychology; 1997-2000 – head of Dept of Economic Psychology he founded)

Professional work

László Garai started his career as editor at the Encyclopaedia Department of the Hungarian academic publishing house

Akadémiai Kiadó Akadémiai Kiadó () is the publishing house of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. It is one of Hungary's most important publishers of scientific books and journals. Its majority-owner is the Amsterdam-based publishing conglomerate Wolters Kluwer ...

. After the defence of his thesis above on specifically basic human need, he concluded this research as a fellow of the Institute for Philosophy of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (1964–1971). According to his hypothesis, a ''paradoxical need for a needfree activity'' is specific for humans and substantial for their other needs. The structure of the hypothesized need is isomorphic with that of the ''work'' considered as a "specifically human basic activity" and defined as that of arranging in one and the same structure ''ends'' and ''means''. The hypothesis is based on the

activity theory Activity theory (AT; russian: link=no, Теория деятельности) is an umbrella term for a line of eclectic social-sciences theories and research with its roots in the Soviet psychological activity theory pioneered by Sergei Rubinste ...

Alexei Leontiev Alexei Nikolaevich Leontiev ( rus, Алексе́й Никола́евич Лео́нтьев, p=lʲɪˈonʲtʲjɪf; February 18, 1903 – January 21, 1979), was a Soviet developmental psychologist and philosopher and the founder of activity theory ...

. He won a Keldysh Scholarship (post doctoral scholarship founded by Keldysh, president of the USSR Academy of Sciences, to support joint Soviet-Hungarian academic research projects) to the Department of scientific discoveries’ psychology in the Institute for History of Natural Sciences and Technology in the Soviet Academy of Sciences (Moscow, 1969-1970)). There Garai studied simultaneous scientific discoveries (such as

that ''That'' is an English language word used for several grammar, grammatical purposes. These include use as an adjective, conjunction (grammar), conjunction, pronoun, adverb, and intensifier; it has distance from the speaker, as opposed to words lik ...

of Bolyai and

Lobachevsky Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky ( rus, Никола́й Ива́нович Лобаче́вский, p=nʲikɐˈlaj ɪˈvanəvʲɪtɕ ləbɐˈtɕɛfskʲɪj, a=Ru-Nikolai_Ivanovich_Lobachevsky.ogg; – ) was a Russian mathematician and geometer, kn ...

). In 1970, Garai founded in the Institute for Psychology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences a research unit that became the first in Hungary research team of

and a center of Vygotskian theoretical research. head of that department (1971–79) and research advisor (1998-2002). He worked at the Laboratoire Européen de Psychologie Sociale (Paris, 1971, 1973 and 1977) and directed psycho-economic research supported by the National Scientific Research Foundation (1990-2005). Garai was a member of the advisory board of the Hungarian Ministry of Finance. He was on the editorial board of the ''Journal of Russian and East European Psychology''.

Selected publications

* 1966 : "Problèmes des besoins spécifiquement humains." ''Récherches Internationales: Psychologie''.

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9. (51). 42-60. * 1966 : "Историко-материалистический подход к проблеме специфически-человеческих потребностей" ("The problem of the specifically human needs approached by historical materialism"). ''Вопросы психологии'' (''Voprosy Psikhology''). 3. 61-73. * 1968 : "Las necesidades específicamente humanas" in: A. Luria, A. Massucco Costa, R. Zazzo and B. Teplov: ''Problemática científica de la psicología actual''. Editorial Orbelus. Buenos Aires. 63-85) * 1969 : ''Személyiségdinamika és társadalmi lét'' (''Personality dynamics and social existence''). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó cademic Press 231 p. -- "Review:" F. Erős: ''Personality Dynamics and Social Existence'', by L. Garai. ''European Journal of Social Psychology''. 4/3

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pp. 369–379 * 1969 : "La régulation communicative de la relation sociale et le devenir conscient des contenus de mémoire". In: J. Janousek (szerk.): ''Experimental social psychology: Papers and reports from the International Conference on Social Psychology'': Institute of Psychology, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. Prague, 1969. * 1971 : "Hypothesis on the Motivation of Scientific Creativity". ''XIII International Congress of the History of Science''. USSR, Moscow, August 18–24, 1971. "Nauka" Publishing House. M., 224-233. * 1971 : "Гипотеза о мотивации научного творчества" ("Hypothesis on the Motivation of Scientific Creativity"). 1''3-ый Международный конгресс по истории науки''. СССР, Москва, 18-24-го aвгустa 1971-го года (''XIII International Congress of the History of Science''. USSR, Moscow, August 18–24, 1971. Мoсквa: Изд. «Наука» ("Nauka" Publishing House. Moscow.) * 1971: "Interpretation of needs in foreign language psychology and the question of motives of a scientific activity"

n Russian N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...

In: Iaroshevsky, M. (ed.): ''Problemy nauchnogo tvorchestva v sovremennoy psikhologii''. M.: Nauka, 224-233. * 1973 : "Strength and Weakness of Psychological Science". ''International Social Science Journal''. 25. 447-460. * 1973 : "La puissance et l'impuissance de la science psychologique". ''Revue Internationale des Sciences Sociales''. 25. 491-504. * 1978 : "Les Débuts de la catégorisation sociale et les manifestations verbales. Une étude longitudinale" (Co-author: M. Kocski; translation et adaptation: Paul Wald). ''Langage et Société''. 4. (). 3-30. * 1978 (with F. Eros) : "Marx's social theory and the concept of man in social psychology". ''Studia Psychologica''. 20: 5-10 * 1979 "La régulation communicative de la relation sociale et le devenir conscient des contenus de mémoire". In: Prangishvili et al. (eds): ''The Unconscious''. Vol. 3. Metsniereba. Tbilisi. 476-484. * 1979 (with F. Eros, K. Járó, M. Köcski, S. Veres) : "Towards a Social Psychology of Personality: Development and Current Perspectives of a School of Social Psychology in Hungary". ''Social Science Information''. 1: 137-166 * 1980
Szabadságszükséglet és esztétikum
' (''The need for freedom and the aesthetics'') Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó cademic Press 160 p. * 1981 : "Les paradoxes de la catégorisation sociale". ''Recherches de Psychologie Sociale''. 3. 131-141. R. Pages: "Les paradoxes classificatoires de Garai: espaces de repérage et d'affectation". ''Recherches de Psychologie Sociale''. 1981. 143-151. * 1983 : "Marxian Personality Psychology". In:

Rom Harré Horace Romano "Rom" Harré (; 18 December 1927 – 17 October 2019), was a New Zealand-British philosopher and psychologist. Biography Harré was born in Āpiti, in northern Manawatu, near Palmerston North, New Zealand, but held British citiz ...

, Roger Lamb, eds., ''The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Psychology''. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. 364-366 * 1984 : "Vers une théorie psychoéconomique de l'identité sociale". ''Recherches Sociologiques''. 313-335. * 1985 : "Thesis on the Brain, Meaning and Dualism". ''Studia Psychologica''. 27. 2. 157-168. * 1986 : "Social Identity: Cognitive Dissonance or Paradoxe?" ''New Ideas in Psychology''. 4:3. 311-322. * 1987
"Determining economic activity in a post-capitalist system"
''Journal of Economic Psychology''. 8: 77-90 * 1988 : "Activity theory and social relations theory" (co-author: Margit Kocski). In: Hildebrand-Nielsohn, M. and Rückriem, G. (eds): ''Proceedings of the 1stInternational Congress on Activity Theory''. Vol. 1. Berlin: Druck und Verlag System Druck. 119-129. * 1988 : "Two Principles in Vygotsky's Heritage: Activity and Community" o-author: Margit Kocski In: Erôs, F. and Kiss, Gy. (eds) ''Seventh European CHEIRON Conference Budapest, Hungary, 4–8 September 1988''. Hungarian Psychological Association and Institute of Psychology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Bp., 1988. 191-201) * 1988 :
Alkotáspszichológia felé: Esettanulmány József Attiláról
' (''Toward a creativity psychology: A case study on Attila Jozsef''). Budapest: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia (Hungarian Academy of Sciences) * 1988 : "The case of Attila József: A reply to

Gustav Jahoda Gustav Jahoda, FBA, FRSE (11 October 1920 – 12 December 2016) was an Austrian psychologist and writer. He was educated in Vienna, then subsequently in Paris and London. He studied sociology and psychology at London University before obtaining ...

" in ''New Ideas in Psychology'' 6:2. 213-217. * 1989 : "The principle of social relations and the principle of activity" (co-author: M. Kocski). ''Soviet Psychology''. 4. 50-69. * 1990 :
"...kis pénz - kis foci"? Egy gazdaságpszichológia megalapozása
'. (''Foundation of an economic psychology''). Budapest: Hungarian Economic Society. * 1990 : "On the mental status of activity and social relation: To the question of continuity between the theories of Vygotsky and Leontiev" [in Russian; co-author: M. Kocski). ''Psykhologichesky Zhurnal'', 11:5. (1990) 17-26. * 1991 (with M. Kocski) : "Positivist and hermeneutic principles in psychology: activity and social categorisation". ''Studies in Soviet Thought''. 42: 123-13
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* 1991 (with M. Kocski) : "Positivistische und hermeneutische Prinzipien in der Psychologie: Tätigkeit und gesellschaftliche Kategorisierung: Über die Frage von Kontinuität und Diskontinuität zwischen Vygotskij und Leont'ev". ''Europäische Zeitschrift für Semiotische Studien''. Vol. 3 [1-2]. 1-15. * 1993 : ''"...elvegyültem és kiváltam": Társadalomlélektani esszé az identitásról'' (A psychosocial essay on identity). Budapest: T-Twins. 231 p. * 1995 : ''Quo vadis, tovaris? A modernizáció útjáról és a rajta vándorló emberrôl''. Budapest: Scientia HumanaSee review by Hovanyecz László in ''

Népszabadság ''Népszabadság'' (; means "Liberty of the People") was a major Hungarian newspaper which was formerly the official press organ of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party during the Hungarian People's Republic. History and profile ''Népszab ...

''. 16 January 1995: 11; review article by Popper Péter, "Változások nehéz szaga..." in ''Kritika'' 1995:8. 22-23 * 1996: Vygotskian implications: On the meaning and its brain. A keynote paper. In: Международная конференция „Культурно-исторический подход: Развитие гуманитарных наук и образования”. Proceedings. Российская Академия образования и Российский Государственный гуманитарный университет. Москва, 21-24-го октября 1996. No. 3. * 1998 : ''Emberi potenciál mint tôke: bevezetés a gazdaságpszichológiába''. Budapest: Aula Kiadó * 1998 (with P. Popper) : ''Sajtópszichológia''. Budapest: MÚOSz Bálint György Újságíró Akadémia * 2003 : ''Identitásgazdaságtan: gazdaságpszichológia másképpen''. Budapest: Tas * 2005 :
József Attila identitásai: alkotáspszichológiai esettanulmány
'. Budapest: Magyar Filmtörténeti Fotógyűjtemény Alapítvány * 2008

("Specifically human basic need"). ''Magyar Tudomány'' 2008/9 * 2012
Interview with Laszlo Garai
on the Activity Theory of Alexis Leontiev and his own Theory of Social Identity as referred to the meta-theory of Lev Vygotsky. ''Journal of Russian and East European Psychology'', vol. 50, no. 1, January–February 2012, pp. 50–64. * 2013
Theoretical_Psychology_Vygotskian_Writings
* 2017 : ''Reconsidering Identity Economics – Human Well-Being and Governance''. New York: Palgrave Macmillan

Notes

External links

Personal page at University of Szeged

Lev Vygotsky Archive

Survey of Garai's work on Attila Jozsef, 1987-2005
(in Hungarian)

Bibliography

* F. Eros, "''Personality Dynamics and Social Existence'' by L. Garai" eview article ''European Journal of Social Psychology'' vol. 3 (1974) pp. 369–379 *

Miklós Gábor Miklós Gábor (7 April 1919 – 2 July 1998) was a Hungarian actor, most remembered for his roles in films ''Valahol Európában'' and ''Mágnás Miska''. He was husband to Éva Ruttkai, and later Éva Vass. Miklós Gábor was born 7 Apr ...

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