Abstract

This article develops a theoretical articulation between Freud's conceptions about the functioning of the unconscious system and the phenomenon described by Vygotsky as "inner language." We describe Vygotsky's theoretical work on inner language and relate it to Freudian postulates regarding the functioning of the unconscious system and the passage from representations of this system to consciousness. Although Freud and Vygotsky come from different traditions and different understandings of psychological functioning, we consider that a dialogue between the two positions and their theoretical proposals can contribute to a better understanding of the phenomenon of inner language in the human experience. Following Freud, we conclude that the origin of inner language meets the conditions for being considered a derivative or formation of the unconscious, given that its phenomenological description is consistent with the functioning of the primary process as well as with a compromise formation between desire and censorship.