The function of epistemological philosophy

Philosophy has many functions. One of the fundamental is epistemological. It is related to a person's ability to think and comprehend the world. The function of knowledge in philosophy is, on the one hand, the algorithm itself of cognizing the world around itself, and on the other hand, ideas and conceptual theories explaining these mechanisms.

Contemplation

The most important part of the entire philosophical teaching is the function of the epistemological or cognition function. It was investigated in the ancient times. The process of cognition can be divided into three parts - contemplation, presentation and thinking. Without them, an epistemological function is impossible. At the initial stage of cognition, an act of sensation of matter or an object occurs. At this moment, the subject is in contact with the object (the person perceives something new for him).

Contemplation is rich in freshness and fullness of sensations. At the same time, it remains the most modest in terms of comprehension. The first feeling is extremely important. It contains all thoughts, ideas and concepts of man about the subject. As conductors can be used different senses: smell, touch, sight, hearing and taste. This variety of instruments determines the variety of possible sensations. Each of them represents a unique excitement with its intensity and qualities.

Forming an image

The second stage of contemplation is the manifestation of attention. This reaction of the intellect is based on the fact that all sensations are different. Because of this, each of them causes unique effects. The function of epistemological, belonging to contemplation, could not exist without the ability of man to show attention.

At the third stage, contemplation is formed as such. When attention is paid, sensations cease to be scattered and are linked together. Thanks to this, the intellect gets an opportunity of contemplation in the literal sense of this concept. So, a person turns sensations into meaningful feelings and creates on their basis an integral visible image. It separates from the object itself and becomes an independent representation of the subject.

Performance

A view is a person's contemplation. There is a fundamental difference between these two processes. For contemplation, a person needs the presence of an object, while there is no such need for representation. In order to recreate a certain image in his mind, a person uses his own memory. In it as in a piggy bank are all representations of the individual.

The first is the act of remembering. The epistemological function of philosophy is that philosophy helps to understand the mechanisms of cognition. Memories are an important material for recreating images, on the basis of which thinking begins. At this last stage, a person acquires new knowledge. But you can not get them without a definite idea.

Imagination

When images fall into the human sphere of representation, they get rid of all possible real connections that are characteristic of them in the surrounding world. At this stage, a new tool is used - the imagination. With the help of existing images, the intellect can create something completely new, different from the original material. The ability of the imagination has its roots. It appeared due to the difference and similarity of surrounding objects. Different images give food for imagination. The more of them, the more unique the result can be.

Imagination is characterized by a reproducing power, through which a person evokes images on the surface of his consciousness. In addition, this mechanism works based on the ability to build associations. Finally, the imagination has creative power. It reproduces signs and symbols, using which a person brings new images from his consciousness to the outside world.

Supporters of the philosophical theory of sensationalism attached great importance to the associating power of imagination. John Locke and George Berkeley studied this phenomenon . They believed that there are certain laws of association of ideas. At the same time they were opposed by Hegel, who claimed that the imagination operates according to other rules. He defended the idea that the uniqueness of associations is associated only with the individual characteristics of each individual person.

Symbols and signs

To express one's own subjective ideas, a person applies images of objects. So he creates symbols. An example is the image of a fox, which means cunning behavior. As a rule, a symbol has only one property, corresponding to the representation of the person. All its other features are not taken into account.

But not all representations can be expressed with the help of symbols. Human imagination often creates images that do not correspond to real objects in any way. In this case, signs are used. Symbols are based on natural and well-known properties of the surrounding world. Signs are not tied to these features in any way, they can be chaotic and illogical.

Thinking

Philosophical schools offer different hypotheses, conceptual approaches and theories about whether human thinking can know the surrounding world. On this score, there are both optimists and pessimists. Supporters of Gnosticism believe that people can get true immutable knowledge. For this, people use thinking. This process has several immutable attributes. First of all, this is his verbal nature. Words make up the fabric of thought, without them thinking and the function itself, epistemological, are simply impossible.

The reasoning of a person has a form and content. These characteristics are closely interrelated. Initially, thinking is carried out only according to form. This means that a person can arbitrarily use his own vocabulary and build from words any constructions, even if they do not make any sense. For example, compare sour and green. True thinking arises at the moment when a person turns this tool to the content of the idea of objects.

Subjects and their concepts

The most important epistemological function of philosophy is that philosophy emphasizes that the world can and must be understood. But for this it is necessary to master the tool given by the nature of man. This refers to both contemplation and imagination. And thinking is a key tool. It is necessary for understanding the concept of an object.

Philosophers of different generations and epochs argued about what lies behind this formulation. To date, humanitarian science has given a clear answer - each subject consists of many elements. For his knowledge, it is necessary to identify all the parts, and then fold them into a single whole. But even individual objects or phenomena do not exist in isolation from the rest of the world. They constitute organized and complex systems. Focusing on this pattern, you can formulate an important rule of knowledge of the world. In order to understand the essence of the subject, it is necessary to study not only it, but also the system to which it belongs.

Anatomy of Thinking

Thinking activity consists of three stages: the understanding, the judgments of the concept and the mind. Together they form a harmonious process, allowing a person to produce new knowledge. At the stage of reason, thinking is an object. At the stage of narrowing the concept, it analyzes the concept of the object of knowledge. Finally, at the stage of the mind, thinking comes to a definite conclusion.

The epistemological function of philosophy and the process of cognition interested many philosophers. However, the greatest contribution to the modern understanding of these phenomena was made by Immanuel Kant. He managed to indicate the two extreme degrees of thinking: reason and reason. His colleague Georg Hegel defined the middle stage of the judgments of the concept. Long before them, the classical theory of knowledge in his writings Aristotle. He became the author of an important thesis that things can be perceived by the senses or comprehended by the mind, and also the thought that the name (concept) becomes meaningful only thanks to man, since by nature there are no names.

Components of knowledge

Contemplation, presentation and thinking gave the person the opportunity to use three ways of expressing his own knowledge about the world around him. Contemplation can take the form of unique works of art. The image was the foundation for the birth of religion and the corresponding picture of the world. Thanks to thinking, humanity has scientific knowledge. They are built in a harmonious single system.

Thinking has another amazing feature. The concepts of objects, comprehended with its help, become its own instrument and property. So a person reproduces and accumulates knowledge. New concepts appear on the basis of already received and generalized. Thinking can theoretically transform a person's ideas about objects.

Cognition in political science

The epistemological function can consist both in the actual cognition of the person's reality in general, and in certain types of activity or scientific disciplines. For example, a certain knowledge is in philosophy and political science. In such cases, this notion acquires more tangible limits. The epistemological function of political science is manifested in the fact that this discipline is intended to clarify the political reality.

Science reveals its connections and characteristics. The epistemological function of political science is to determine the political system of the state and the social system. With the help of theoretical tools it is possible to refer the authoritative apparatus to one or another model template. For example, everyone knows such concepts as democracy, totalitarianism and authoritarianism. The epistemological function of political science lies in the fact that specialists can characterize power according to one of these terms. At the same time, the analysis of the main elements of the state machine takes place. For example, the state of the parliament, its independence from the executive power and the degree of influence on the legislative process are examined .

Analysis of knowledge and new theories

Only the epistemological function of political science ultimately provides an answer to the question of the state of state institutions. For several centuries of its existence this science has created several universal methods of cognition in its narrow theoretical field. Although today there are a huge number of states, they all function according to the principles that were singled out and defined in the XIX-XX centuries.

The epistemological function of political science is also a way to systematize conclusions and propose an ideal state system. The search for utopia based on the successful and unsuccessful experience of past generations continues today. In part, the epistemological function of political science lies in the fact that, based on the conclusions of scientists, different theories are being drawn about the future of the state and its relations with society.