SOURCE: "Communication, The Act, and The Object with Reference to Mead," in The Journal of Philosophy, Vol. XLIII, No. 9, April 25, 1946, pp. 225-38.

In the following essay, de Laguna provides a critical analysis of a few of the central ideas of Mead's philosophy that she deems confused and inadequate, such as human acts, cooperation, and communication.

Whether John Dewey's estimate of George H. Mead as a seminal mind of the first order is acceptable or not, few will deny the importance of his thought or its continuing influence. It is because I have found his writings stimulating and provocative, and at the same time confusing if not confused, that I have been led to attempt a critical analysis of some of the central ideas of his philosophy.

The most fundamental concept is that of the "act." The analysis of this is the central theme of Mead's philosophy, and it...