Philosophical
Problems of the
Theory of
Cognition
Purpose of cognition
Getting knowledge about the
laws of the Universe
…the brain cannot fail to learn
(opinion of neurobiologists)
organized
spontaneous
perception
EMPIRICISM
“empirio” – lat.
“experience”
The one source of
knowledge is
experience, when
all surrounding
world influences
our senses
(“sensualism”)
RATIONALISM
“ratio” – lat. “mind”
Real knowledge
possible only from
reason (mind), not
from experience
Existing of’ “inborn
ideas” from which
logically all
knowledge can be
taken out.
Does knowledge require
experience?
YES
Empiricism
NO
Rationalism
Deduction – process of logical
conclusion
from general to particular
Induction – process of logical conclusion
from particular to general .
Knowledge
– justified, true, belief
You know that
something true and you
have justification for it
Key word:
Cognition –
totality of processes & methods
of discovering knowledge about
phenomena & regularities (rules) of
objective world
Cognition
a set of processes of conscious receipt,
processing, use of all information about
the world and man;
 interaction of consciousness and reality as
a result of which in consciousness
images, intellectual models which allow
the person to improve his existence.

views on the possibilities of knowledge:
is knowledge possible?
Academic
Skepticism:
NO!
Contextualism:
depends
on
what
you
mean
“to
know”!
Epistemological
optimism
(Epistemism):
Yes!
 Subject
source of cognitive
activity (person
or
group
of
people)
 Object
part of objective
reality, which
was in interaction
with the subject
Objective
reality
all that exists
(being)
Object
all that
relates to our
knowledge
Knowledge
– gives us an IDEA of thing,
not the thing itself.
Objectified through
language
Practice
– the basis and purpose of
cognition
Forms of organization of
theoretical knowledge
Law – an objective, substantial, necessary
constant connection or relationship between
phenomena.
Hypothesis – probable knowledge (close to true),
prediction that needs proof.
Theory – system-integral, logically completed
knowledge of the logical and essential links of a
certain sphere of reality. System of laws.
Science
-
the system of (scientific)
theories that have received
practical confirmation
- characterize the area
of objective reality
Science
Theory
Law
the role of science for humanity
Scientism
science, as a
base
(benchmark)
Anti-scientism
the possibilities of
science are limited,
and the domination
of science destroys
spirituality
Levels Of Knowledge
Empirical level: methods
1 Observation - an experiment to identify
causal relationships
2. Comparison - always together with 1.
3. Description - fixation 1. + 2.
4. Measurement - a measure of being
Empirical level: methods
5. Experiment - duration in time,
repeatability (1,2,3,4)
6. Modeling - variety 5. (scaling, creating
artificial conditions)
7. Analogy - a comparison of the object
with others like it
8. Induction - generalizations 1-7
Transition level

Deduction - the results are derived from
the general provisions (laws, principles,
axioms)
Theoretical level: methods
1. Analysis - the search for common and different in
related to the object and subject of study written
sources (dissertations, articles)
2. Synthesis - generalization of results 1. (hypothesis)
3. Abstraction - work with concepts (replacement of objects
by concepts)
4. Formalization - formulas of movement (transformation
into formulas)
5. Idealization - the maximum possible forms of existence of
objects (without loss of objectivity)
Truth
The purpose of knowledge is the
TRUTH
TRUTH
conformity
of knowledge and
representations to reality
is not frozen and unchanged, it is
the process of functioning of the
intellectual component of social
and historical life
Criteria of scientific knowledge :





facts
experimental tests
consistency with principles
of science theory
correctness and accuracy
of application terminology
logical and conceptual
consistency
History of a Method
Method = "the way“
Scientific method = way of
activity in the cognitive field
Rene Des Cartes
Method of cognition
1. Truth to be considered the thing
which don’t give rise to doubts.
2. To divide all complicated
problems on the simple ones.
3. To come from known to
unknown? From simple to more
complicated.
4. To involve everything in logical
chains of research.
methodic doubt
- a systematic procedure of rejecting as
though false all types of belief in
which one has ever been, or could
ever be, deceived (arguments derive
from the skepticism of the Greek
philosopher Sextus Empiricus )
Positivism
middle ХІХ century.
20 th-30 th XX ct. – neopositivism
Knowledge is based solely on the facts
of experience.
 Everything that is not derived from these
observations is not verified - it does not
make sense! (God, morality, justice,
etc.)

CARL POPPER
(1902- 1994) Austria
critical rationalism

The development of science does not depend on
the forced accumulation of data, but on the free
competition of ideas, thanks to freedom.
Verification is not 100% possible for anything, and a
small% verification is possible for anything.
 Falsification - the search for refutations of the
hypothesis is more important! (rational criticism confirms
the truth)

Hypothetical-deductive method
PROBLEM
Hypotheses
(knowledge of
ignorance)
theory
Observation
and rational
criticism
Metaphysical theories are
also needed!
CARL POPPER
THOMAS KUHN
(1922-1996)
Theory of paradigms and the theory of
scientific revolutions
!!!! the development of science is not
gradual-evolutionary, but abruptlyrevolutionary (change of scientific
paradigms):
 1. "normal" science
 2. detection of anomalies
 3. extraordinary science
 4. The transition to the "new faith" of
most scientists
Paradigm
«The structure of scientific revolutions»
(1962)
Epistemological context: a set of
fundamental knowledge, values, beliefs
and techniques as a model of scientific
activity.
Social context: is the basis for the
existence of a particular scientific
society that shares it
The study of paradigms is what mainly
prepares the student for membership in a
scientific society
Paul Feyerabend
(1924 – 1994)
(“Anything goes”)


“Science has always been enriched by nonscientific methods and results, while processes
in which the essential side of science is often
seen have quietly died out and been forgotten.
”chaos, deviations, errors of irrational nature
in science are the key to scientific progress.
Paul Feyerabend
The principle of proliferation - is the
search for truth in the ocean of possibilities
 The principle of counter-induction discovery is often the result of opposition
(science exists precisely because of the
violation of what is generally accepted in
science)
 Anthropocentrism and humanism - are
the only sources of worldview and science. (to
teach science together with magic in
universities)

The contemporary problem
Could there be an end to
scientific discoveries?
And what will happen
next when everything
becomes known?
Science arises from the need to control
the environment.
If there is no practical benefit from the
results - it makes no sense to fund it.
If we reach the limit and cross it,
creating a super-powerful
Supercomputer, what questions will it
ask itself to solve?
The main conditions of cognition
The ability to
marvel at the most
obvious things
 The ability to fall
in love with the
amazing

"Think like a Martian"
physicist Richard Feynman