Multi−level periodisation of ontogenesis. Becoming of the system of leading functions for an arbitrary level of organization.

Part 1

Abstract

Based on the idea of organisation level hierarchy, the proposed periodisation scheme of ontogenesis is multi-level. The main advantage of such an approach is that it offers a real opportunity to describe the development of any living creature starting with the minimal level, i. e., maturation of an egg, and finishing at a threshold level of organisation for a given biological species.

S. Vygotsky constantly highlighted the need for a constructive approach to general psychology. To him, it should have been replaced by psychology of development a long time before. As for developmental psychology, it could still deal with the psychology of age periods in all the richness of their specific empirical content. Unfortunately, Vygotsky did not manage to bring the results of his fruitful work to the multi-level implementation.

The first article in our series (“Topology, metrics and chronology of the multi-level periodization of ontogenesis”) presents an absolute chronological scale of ontogeny. It also provides empirical substantiation of the periodisation of multi-level ontogenesis. The second article in the series (“Multi-level periodisation of ontogenesis: Empirical characteristics of organisation levels”) describes initial basic empirical characteristics of all levels of organisation of ontogenesis.

The article below examines the becoming of a system of leading functions for an arbitrary level of organisation. As for the becoming, in addition to the threshold level, the four previous ones are taken as a basis. Finally, the very content of the becoming is derived from the configuration of the interaction cycles of the intra-level layers. The configuration is viewed as a system of leading functions. The given framework of analysis is seen as the basis for describing each particular organisation level.