Language reflection. Book Review: Shchedrovitsky G.P. At the crossroads of thought: Introduction to the system-thinking-activity approach. Moscow: MIF, 2024. 672 P. ISBN 978-5-00214-612-3

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The review examines a new publication featuring the works of G.P. Shchedrovitsky, the philosophical leader of the Moscow Methodological Circle (MMC) and one of Russia’s most influential 20th-century thinkers. As the first volume of a planned 10-volume collection, “At the crossroads of thought: Introduction to the system-thinking-activity approach” uniquely presents the core principles of Shchedrovitsky’s system-thinking-activity approach not in chronological or thematic sequence, but in the logic of the approach itself. The publishers tried to convey the spirit of the work of G.P. Shchedrovitsky and his associates by collecting in one book not only articles or reports by Shchedrovitsky himself, but also debate on his theses transcripts, containing arguments of his opponents etc. In the review, the focus is on the points important for linguistics (language/sign systems theory), because the linguistic commentary clearly lacks in the first volume. Its undoubted merit includes the following: previously unpublished archival materials, editorial annotations contextualizing debates, comprehensive bibliography (1957–2014 publications), name and subject indices. The publication is intended for philosophers, logicians and researchers of Russian intellectual history, as well as linguists, since it captures the part of the history of philological sciences in the second half of the 20th century. The work appears to be large-scale, promising and deserves close attention from the widest range of readers.