What is cognition - types, forms, methods and levels of cognition

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January 23, 2020

1. What it is
2. Forms of knowledge - sensual and rational
3. Types of knowledge (scientific, creativity)
4. Methods

Hello, dear readers of the KtoNaNovenkogo.ru blog. Various sciences are trying to understand what cognition is: cognitive psychology, scientific studies, sociology and others consider this phenomenon only partially.

Only the branch of philosophy epistemology (from the Greek gnosis - knowledge + logos - teaching) is interested in knowledge fully and as capaciously as possible, making it the subject of its study.

↑ The concept of “cognition”.

Cognition is
the activity of people, the purpose of which is to obtain new reliable knowledge about the surrounding world, reality, man and society, based on its sensory and rational comprehension.
Epistemology
studies the theory of knowledge - this is a branch of philosophy that analyzes the nature and possibilities of knowledge, its boundaries and conditions of reliability.

In relation to the process of cognition, the following philosophical directions are distinguished:

Gnosticism

- a philosophical doctrine, the main idea of ​​which is that cognitive activity for a person is a vital necessity (“Cognition is a necessity”).

Optimism -

a philosophical movement that considers the world to be entirely knowable (“The world is possible to know”).

Agnosticism

- a philosophical doctrine that states that the world is impossible to know. The rationale for this fact is as follows: a person can cognize an object only with the help of his sensations and internal experiences, but it is impossible to become the object itself and “see the world” from its side, which distorts the facts about what is being cognized. And such concepts as “god”, “soul”, “universe” are in principle unknowable, since they exist beyond the possible limits of the human mind. (“The world is impossible to know”).

Relativism

- a philosophical doctrine, the meaning of which is that all truths can only be relative, those. capable of changing depending on conditions (“Everything in the world is relative”).

Skepticism

- a direction in philosophy that questions the possibility of knowing reality (“Doubts regarding the possibility of knowledge”).

↑ Process of cognition

The process of cognition, no matter how it takes place, always presupposes the presence of two sides: the subject and the object of cognition.

Subject of knowledge

- a cognizing person, endowed with will and consciousness, or a collective, the whole society.

Object of knowledge

– what the subject’s cognitive activity is aimed at. Can be animate (a person himself, an animal) and inanimate (natural phenomena); material (really existing object) or ideal (hypothesis, theory)

Means of knowledge

- devices used to obtain knowledge (measuring instruments, microscopes, reagents)

Result of knowledge

- knowledge is a product of the relationship of thought to reality, existing in a logical linguistic form in the form of concepts, judgments, symbols, signs

Knowledge consists of two levels: empirical and theoretical

. But it is impossible to contrast the sensual and rational in cognition, since these two stages of cognition manifest themselves as a single process. The difference between them is not temporary, but qualitative: the first stage is lower, the second is higher.

Knowledge

is the unity of sensory and rational knowledge of reality. Knowledge is the result of knowledge of reality, the content of consciousness.

Outside of sensory representation, man has no real knowledge. For example, many concepts of modern science are very abstract, and yet they are not free from sensory content. Not only because these concepts ultimately owe their origin to the experience of people, but also because in their form they exist in the form of a system of sensory signs. On the other hand, knowledge cannot do without the rational data of experience and their inclusion in the results and course of the intellectual development of mankind.

Main types of knowledge of the world

Today, people share 7 main types of cognition:

1. scientific;
2. philosophical;
3. creative;
4. religious;
5. everyday;
6. mythological;
7. self-knowledge.

Let's take a closer look at each type of cognition.

Cognition of scientific form

Scientific knowledge is a rational form of the cognitive process, which is based on logical conclusions. Observation of cause and effect. The scientific form of knowledge begins with the fact that people with an academic degree assume something, after which this information is confirmed or refuted based on preliminary research. The rationality of the scientific form of knowledge is based on objectivity and common sense.

Cognition from the point of view of philosophy

Philosophical knowledge of the world is focused primarily on the search for meaning in human life. By applying different criteria such as good or evil. Philosophy is a science that constantly tries to find answers to the main questions of our life. For example, who are people and why do they live, for what purpose and how did the world come into being and similar questions to which no rational or scientific answer can be found.

The ability to understand the world through the visual arts or fiction. Creativity is also one of the ways to transmit information and knowledge. That is why today human creativity is so valued and is gaining great popularity among people who are engaged in self-development.

Creativity as artistic knowledge

The artistic form and knowledge in the form of creativity allows you to reflect reality through graphic images or using letters and symbols. This form of cognitive process is limited only by the imagination of the creator. It is a product of a thought process that is based on the imagination of the creator.

Religious form of knowledge

Religious knowledge, first of all, encourages a person to fear the Lord God (the creator of the entire world), and at the same time be in harmony with the Almighty.

Religion aims to teach the relationship between human thoughts or actions and the judgmental laws of God. It is worth assuming that this kind of cognition has great similarities with the mythological form of cognition.

All phenomena that still have no explanation are considered to be God’s thoughts aimed at a person with the aim of punishing or rewarding devotion and faith.

I invite you to read a couple of articles: what is faith? and what does spirituality mean?

Everyday knowledge of the world around us

Everyday form of cognition is the collection and processing of information that we receive as we live each new day. People often call this life experience. When, after the events we have experienced, we reflect on the events that happened.

As a result of such activities, we begin to understand and distinguish between the harm and benefit of ongoing events in our everyday routine. The accumulated experience should be aimed at improving the standard of living and overall facilitating existence on earth.

This form of knowledge is considered rational, and is available to a person from his very birth until the very end of his life. All correct decisions and mistakes accumulate throughout the entire life span of each person. As such information becomes available, we gain some experience that we can later use for the benefit or detriment of humanity.

Mythology as a form of knowledge

In mythology you can find many colorful examples to represent the primordial world. All information is transmitted and modified over thousands of years. But among the inexplicable creatures or objects, as well as phenomena, you can see some modern devices or elementary weather phenomena. The form of scientific knowledge of those times could be much higher than today, and there is an assumption that it was knowledge that destroyed the great civilization. We only got snippets of information.

Mythological knowledge is a primitive representation of our world, when humanity was just beginning to comprehend all the information that surrounds us. In those days, if a person died under unknown circumstances, then this event was attributed to the communion of unknown creatures.

According to our ancestors, all processes on earth were controlled by individual beings or gods. All weather phenomena or climate changes were then considered a manifestation of divine power.

Today, this form of cognitive thinking still exists. This form of knowledge is possessed by those people who do not delve into scientific research. Or those whose psyche is disturbed and they do not want to take responsibility for their own actions. These can be: both mentally ill people and individuals who pretend to be so in order to evade responsibility for crimes or mistakes committed.

Self-knowledge of the internal and external world

Self-knowledge is a form of studying internal or external states. People are trying to study their thought processes, actions that are performed consciously based on these thoughts, reflexes and reactions of the body to external stimuli. By exploring the world in this way, a person becomes an independent person, which allows him to be different from other individuals living on the planet.

↑ Empirical level of knowledge

Empiricism:
The only source of all our knowledge is sensory experience.

Empirical level of cognition (sensory cognition)

- the initial stage of cognition, formed in the process of direct interaction of the subject with external objects, occurs through the senses (vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch).

With sensory cognition, a person receives information about objects and phenomena of the surrounding world with the help of his senses.

The sense organs play a special role in the process of cognition:

• they are the only channel that directly connects a person with the outside world;
• they reflect primarily the external aspects and connections of the object;
• without them, a person is unable to cognize or think;
• they provide the minimum information necessary for cognition of objects.

Forms of sensory knowledge:

1) Feeling

- this is a reflection of the individual properties of a cognizable object that arise from their direct impact on the senses.

Sensations can be visual, auditory, tactile, or taste, which a person experiences when encountering any object, object or phenomenon for the first time.

2) Perception

- this is the mental reconstruction of a complete image of a cognizable object with its direct impact on the senses.

Perception consists of sensations and allows a person to identify any object, object or phenomenon that he has previously encountered.

3) Presentation

- this is a mental reproduction of the image of the object under study, without its direct impact on the senses.

Human memory makes it possible to remember objects and, if necessary, reproduce them in thoughts when the object is not nearby.

GBOU School No. 2065 Moscow

history and social studies teacher

Mikhailova Elizaveta Igorevna

Social studies lesson notes

for 10th grade students (professional level)

Topic: “Knowledge as an activity.”

• educational and methodological kit:

1. Social studies: profile level: textbook for 10th grade. educational institutions /L. N. Bogolyubov, A. Yu. Lazebnikova, N. M. Smirnova and others - M.: Prosveshchenie, 2013.

2.Didactic materials for the course “Man and Society” / Edited by L. N. Bogolyubov, A. T. Kinkulkin. - M.: Education, 2011;

3. School dictionary of social studies / Edited by L. N. Bogolyubov, Yu. I. Averyanov. - M.: Education, 2010;

4 Lazebnikova A. Yu., Brandt M. Yu. Social science. Unified State Exam: methodological guide for preparation. - M.: Exam, 2015;

5.Tests. Social science. Grade 11. Options and answers for centralized (final) testing. - M.: RUSTEST LLC, 2012;

6. Social studies: 10th grade: profile level. Workshop. Ed. L.N. Bogolyubova. – M.: Education, 2008;

7.Tasks and tests in social studies: 10th grade / Yu.I.Averyanov, L.N.Bogolyubov, N.I.Gorodetskaya.

The purpose of the lesson:

Studying the problem of the cognition of the world, finding out the essence of the process of cognition, identifying and studying the types of cognition.

Lesson objectives:

1. Educational: to familiarize students with the concepts and terms: cognitive activity, sensory cognition, rational cognition, sensation, perception, representation, concept, judgment, inference; to form ideas about the characteristics of cognitive activity, about the relationship between thinking and feeling.

2. Developmental: develop the skills to compare, analyze, draw conclusions, rationally solve cognitive and problem tasks, work in a group, speak publicly.

3. Educational: development of communication skills.

Lesson type: combined.

Teaching methods: problem-search, heuristic, visual, research.

Teaching aids: textbook, presentation.

Basic concepts: “knowledge”, “cognitive activity”, “sensory cognition”, “rational cognition”, “sensations”, “perception”, “idea”, “concept”, “judgment”, “agnosticism”, “mental operations” ;

Lesson plan:

1. Cognitive activity
2. Levels of cognitive activity
3. Sensory cognition: its capabilities and limits.
4. The essence and forms of rational knowledge.
5. Sensualism and rationalism

During the classes:

1. Organizational point: remind the rules of behavior in the lesson, mark those who are absent.
2. Updating knowledge:

Guys, last time we came across the topic of knowledge. Remember the definition of the concept “cognition”. What is agnosticism, skepticism, positive epistemology?

1. Practical activities to study new material:

1. Cognition as an activity.

Knowledge does not arise on its own, but arises as a result of cognitive activity, i.e. conscious human activity aimed at acquiring information about objects and phenomena of reality, as well as specific knowledge.

Question for students: “How does a person understand the world?”

1. Types of cognitive activity.

— It is customary to distinguish between sensory cognition and rational cognition (thinking).

Sensory cognition is the process of obtaining knowledge about reality through the senses.

As a result, images of individual, specific objects are formed in the human mind. Sensory cognition has the following forms:

• feeling,
• perception,
• performance.

Sensations are data from the senses about the individual properties of individual objects. Thus, vision gives a person the sensation of the color and shape of an object, smell - the sensation of a particular smell, touch - sensations of hardness, cold, etc.

Perception is a holistic image of an object, which is the sum of individual sensations. Moreover, perception is not a simple, “mechanical” sum. Thus, not a single person perceives, for example, a table only as a combination of “flatness,” “hardness,” and “elevation above the floor.” At the stage of perception, a person does not simply summarize individual sensations, but perceives an object as a certain integrity, distinguishes this object from the surrounding reality.

Representation is the highest form of sensory cognition, an image of an object stored in memory outside of direct contact with it. Based on sensory experience, a person can form ideas not only about objects that were given to him in sensations and perceptions, but also about objects with which he did not have direct contact.

Questions for students.

• What is “sensory cognition”?

• Describe and explain the mechanism of sensory cognition.

• What features does it have?

Analyze its strengths and weaknesses. Working with the textbook page 222

Rational cognition is the process of obtaining knowledge about reality through the implementation of various mental procedures.

Rational knowledge, like sensory knowledge, is characterized by certain forms, which include:

• concept;
• judgment;
• inference.

A concept is a form of thinking that reflects an object or group of objects in one or more essential features.

In colloquial speech, a concept can be expressed in one or several words. For example, “horse”, “tractor” or “employee of a research institute”, “explosive bullet”, etc.

A judgment is a form of thinking that contains a statement or denial about the world around us, its objects, patterns and relationships. Judgments can be simple or complex. The difference between them is that a complex proposition consists of two simple ones. A simple proposition: “The karateka throws a punch.” Complex judgment: “The train has left, the platform is empty.” As you can see, the form of a judgment is a declarative sentence.

Inference is a form of thinking that allows one or more interconnected judgments to be drawn to a conclusion in the form of a new judgment.

An inference consists of several judgments that are located one above the other and separated by a line. Those judgments that are located above the line are called premises; Below the line is the conclusion. The conclusion is derived from the premises.

1. Features of sensory cognition

Sensory cognition, realized in the form of sensations, perceptions and ideas, has a number of specific characteristics.

• Sensory knowledge is the “bridge” that connects a person with the objective world. It is sensory knowledge that can give us information about the world in which we exist and carry out our activities.
• Sensory cognition is often characterized as “passive.” In this case, passivity should be understood as a person’s inability to change the data of the senses at the level of sensations. And although man has managed to create numerous instruments and devices capable of changing the range of his perceptions (microscope, etc.), still each of us perceives hot as hot, and red as red. At the same time, a person realizes that the senses can deceive him. However, he trusts his senses. This is manifested, for example, in the requirement for experimental confirmation of theoretical conclusions that, within the framework of all existing legal systems, the most significant evidence is considered to be eyewitness testimony.
• At the level of sensory cognition, a person is able to record only what is given in the senses, but is not able to comprehend the essence of objects and their properties, to discern the laws and patterns operating in the world. At the same time, the task of cognition consists not only in the sensory reflection of reality, but also in understanding the essence of what is happening, in forecasting. Therefore, sensory knowledge alone is not enough to form a holistic picture of the world.

1. Features of rational cognition

Rational cognition has a number of characteristics that fundamentally distinguish it from sensory cognition.

• Rational knowledge has a generalized character. This is manifested in a person’s ability to identify what is common in various objects, while at the level of sensory cognition signs specific to a particular individual are displayed.
• Rational knowledge is abstract in nature (from the Latin abstractio - to be distracted from something), that is, it has the ability to be distracted from private, insignificant features of objects. The abstract nature of rational cognition is manifested in a person’s ability to mentally create abstract objects.
• Rational cognition, unlike sensory cognition, is active and purposeful. In our thoughts, we can make any transformations of an object, perform any thought experiment, identify the properties of objects and the relationships between them that are not directly cognizable with the help of the senses.
• Rational cognition is directly related to language. All thought processes are carried out using language. Language in this sense is not only a means of communication between people, but also a means of consolidating, transmitting, and objectifying knowledge.

Rational and sensory cognition are closely related to each other. Sensations, perceptions and ideas are the raw material for thinking. In almost any reasoning, a person relies on data from the senses. At the same time, while learning about the world, a person does not simply record the reactions of his body to external influences. His consciousness actively intervenes in the process of sensory cognition.

Questions for students:

• What is “rational knowledge”?
• Describe and explain the mechanism of rational cognition.
• What features does it have?
• His strengths and weaknesses?
• Show the relationship between the two types of cognition.

1. Sensualism and rationalism:

Sensualism (from Latin sensus - perception, feeling, sensation) is a direction in the theory of knowledge, according to which sensuality is the main form of reliable knowledge. In contrast to rationalism, sensationalism seeks to derive the entire content of knowledge from the activity of the senses.

Representatives: Protagoras, Epicurus, Hobbes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, La Mettrie, Condillac, Feuerbach.

John Locke: the source of knowledge is feeling. External objects evoke in us simple ideas (feelings) -> concepts (true, false, fantastic...). Feelings are the only channel through which a person is connected with material reality.

Rationalism is a philosophical movement that separates thinking from sensory experience and considers reason to be the only source of knowledge. Parmenides, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Kant, Hegel.

Reason is the basis of people’s behavior and cognition, a total distrust of feelings as an objective source of knowledge.

1. Reflection and summing up. :

what did you find out...

at what stage of the lesson, what difficulties arose...

what is needed to eliminate them...

1. Homework:

• § 21,
• writing an essay “Life is an endless opportunity for learning”

1. End of the lesson.

↑ Rational cognition (Theoretical level of cognition)

Sensory cognition has some significant drawbacks, the most important of which is the well-known physiological limitations of the human sense organs: many objectively existing objects (for example, atoms) cannot be directly reflected in the sense organs.
A sensory picture of the world is necessary, but it is not sufficient for a deep, comprehensive knowledge of the world. Therefore, the second stage of cognitive activity is rational knowledge (from the Latin “ratio” - “mind”). Rationalism:

our knowledge can be obtained only with the help of the mind, without relying on feelings.

Theoretical level of cognition (rational cognition)

- this is the highest level of cognition, which is carried out with the help of thinking and reason in the form of concepts, judgments and conclusions.

Forms of rational knowledge:

1) Concept -

this is a word that includes the main features and characteristics of a material or intangible object.

For example, to the concept of “ball” we can include a hot air balloon, a glass ball, a globe, a billiards ball, a bowling ball, etc. In other words, a concept is the translation of the variety of attributes, qualities and properties of an object into sign system of language, i.e. a word that will allow you to highlight and distinguish this object from a number of others.

2) Judgment

- this is a statement, the meaning of which is to affirm or deny any fact about a cognizable object.

For example, “The Moon has a great influence on many processes occurring on Earth” or “The Moon is not a planet.”

3) Inference -

it is a mental process as a result of which a new judgment is derived from two or more judgments.

An inference consists of judgments (premises) and a conclusion. A conclusion is the result of an inference. For example:

• All lawyers are lawyers (premise).
• Petrov is a lawyer (premise).
• Therefore, Petrov is a lawyer (conclusion).

The conclusion could be:

• inductive
  (from particular to general)
• deductive
  (from general to specific)
• obtained by analogy

Typology

The desire for knowledge is the natural state of every person. In the broad sense of knowledge, its types can be divided into two large categories - scientific and non-scientific.

The first includes several types. For example, the first thing in the history of mankind is mythological knowledge. It is aimed at understanding nature through the interconnection of generations. Religious ones have existed for about the same amount of time. It represents belief in supernatural powers.

We recommend: What is introspection?

Ordinary or empirical knowledge is the life experience that a person receives throughout his existence in this world. The concept we are considering can be artistic and figurative, in which case it appears in the form of works of art. A special place is occupied by self-knowledge, i.e. the individual’s understanding of his words and actions and himself in this life. Otherwise it is called self-reflection.

The goal of scientific knowledge is the discovery of the laws of the universe based on a set of objective concrete facts. This definition has a number of generally accepted characteristics: the study of essential stable properties and relationships; objectivity; systematicity of formulas, concepts and theories; strict evidence and replication of results, as well as application of the knowledge that has been obtained in everyday life.

We recommend: Paradigm is

Scientific knowledge and knowledge has its own structure, its types are theoretical and practical. The first focuses on the essence of phenomena, and the second on life experience.

Rational, scientific knowledge has the following forms: scientific fact, scientific problem, scientific idea, theory, law and hypothesis.

↑ Intuition

Cognition cannot be reduced only to sensations and thinking.
Intuition occupies an important place in the process of cognition, as well as in creativity. Intuition

- direct comprehension of the truth as a result of “insight”, sudden understanding without direct reliance on logical proof, rational thinking.

Both the scientists and thinkers of the ancient world (Plato, Aristotle) ​​and the present time attached great importance to intuition in knowledge. Intuition uses the data of sensory knowledge, but is not it. Intuition is not rational knowledge, since reason does not directly involve logic.