Theories

Genetic epistemology

Piaget developed his theory of genetic epistemology throughout 60 years of focused work as an experimental psychologist and interdisciplinary theoretician. He was concerned with the fundamental question of the nature and origin of knowledge. His own thinking on the subject was constantly changing. Sometimes in the course of writing a book, one scholar has observed, "Piaget had different ideas when it came time to write the conclusion than he had when he wrote the introduction." He wrote in French about abstract ideas using technical terminology, and this has made his books challenging to read and interpret. Fortunately there are many good translations of his works available, and scholarly writing help students navigate the complexities of Piaget's comprehensive theories of cognitive development.