Consciousness in philosophy. Statement of the problem of consciousness in philosophy - The problem of consciousness and the main approaches to its philosophical analysis

The concept of consciousness in philosophy is difficult to define, since this term has a multidimensional range of explanations. It contains thoughts, perception of the world, awareness. Depending on the time, it is perceived as opinions, one's own Self. Thinkers extol conscious existence as the most important thing in the world. But scientists believe that this concept is vague and has no boundaries of use. Consciousness means human activity at the mental level.

Introduction

The problem of consciousness has always attracted the attention of philosophers, since determining the place and role of man in the world, the specifics of his relationship with the surrounding reality presupposes clarification of the nature of human consciousness through the analysis of consciousness as a specifically human form of regulation and management of human interaction with reality. Representatives of idealism sharply raised the question of the role of consciousness in human activity.

People have long shown great interest in consciousness, their mind, and consider it the most important achievement of man. This is, in fact, the most amazing and mysterious phenomenon of life that occurs at a certain stage in the development of matter. With the help of consciousness, reason, a person goes beyond himself, penetrates into the past and the future, into what already exists or does not yet exist, penetrates into the distances of space and into the depths of the microcosm, which he cannot penetrate physically.

Consciousness is a specific characteristic of man, his genetic trait that distinguishes him from the animal kingdom. Consciousness is a social characteristic that arose in the process of long evolution and the formation of a modern person. The most important philosophical question was and remains the question of the relationship of human consciousness to his existence, about the participation of a person with consciousness in the world, about the possibilities that consciousness opens to a person, and about the responsibility that consciousness imposes on a person.

A person has consciousness with the help of the brain, but consciousness is not a function of the brain in itself, but a function of a certain specific way of relating a socially developed person to the world. The problem of the relationship between consciousness and the brain is relevant. There is still much we do not know about the functioning of the brain, especially about what underlies its higher functions and human consciousness. However, progress in this field has been incalculable in recent years, and brain science is gradually moving closer to unraveling this mystery of nature.

With the advent of cybernetics, the task of creating artificial intelligence became urgent.

Acute and topical issues of modern social development, interaction between man and technology, the connection of scientific and technological progress with nature, problems of education and communication, etc. — all these problems of modern social practice turn out to be organically connected with the study of consciousness.

Forms of human consciousness

Human consciousness has several stages of development and forms of manifestation. Let's take a closer look at the available forms of consciousness. Classical psychology distinguishes two main forms of consciousness - social consciousness and individual human consciousness.

Social consciousness is the totality of all ideas, views and assessments inherent in a particular society at a certain stage of its development.

Individual consciousness is the totality of all ideas, views and feelings inherent in a particular person.

The problem of consciousness and the main approaches to its philosophical analysis

More and more sciences are studying consciousness. Such research is carried out by philosophy, anthropology, sociology, psychology, physiology, physics, as well as representatives of technical sciences and computer science. The aspects of consciousness studied in each of the sciences turn out to be very far from each other and, moreover, do not correlate with consciousness as a whole. Each of the sciences uses its own methods, schemes, ideals of rationality, objectivity, rigor and scientific character.

The development of special scientific research stimulates the development and deepening of philosophical problems of consciousness itself. For example, the development of modern computer science, the creation of “thinking” machines and the associated process of computerization of human activity have forced us to reconsider the essence of consciousness, the specific capabilities of a person in operating with consciousness, and the optimal ways of interaction between a person and his consciousness with modern computer technology.

Consciousness acts as one of the most complex objects of philosophical analysis. Being an indisputable, self-evident fact of human existence, consciousness is at the same time removed from external observation, and the unobservability of consciousness in principle creates natural difficulties for its theoretical reconstruction.

The need for a theoretically correct connection between the individual and the universal, the organic connection of which is revealed in the experience of consciousness, gives this problem a special status in philosophy. Currently, in the philosophy of consciousness we can talk about three main paradigms: content-based, functional and existential-phenomenological.

Substantialism emphasizes the ideal nature of consciousness, and the ideal - as the sphere of general concepts, meanings and values ​​- exists relatively autonomously in relation to the individual or specific natural formations. Functionalism emphasizes the dependence of consciousness on natural structures (the brain as its material carrier, sensory experience as the genetically primary level of reflection of reality, objective activity as a guarantor of the adequacy of this reflection). The phenomenological interpretation draws attention to the special significance of self-consciousness, in which both ideal-universal and sensory-specific aspects gather in the focus of the “I” and create a uniquely universal spiritual experience of the individual.

It should be said that the formalization of the existential-phenomenological tradition did not at all lead to the automatic disappearance of functional and substantive paradigms in the interpretation of consciousness. Functionalism is today quite strong in the analytical tradition, and substantialism can be referred to in connection with structuralist and poststructuralist concepts that reduce consciousness to the phenomena of language and text.

Theoretical foundations of consciousness

Modern psychologist I. Tulving studied and presented the theoretical foundations of consciousness:

1. Anoetic consciousness

   (procedural memory) is a state where we are not conscious of anything, but we register environmental cues and respond to them.

2. Noetic consciousness

   (semantic memory) is a state when we are aware of something that is not part of the existing environment, like symbolic consciousness.

3. Autonoetic consciousness

   (episodic memory) is what we know about ourselves, the memory of events in our personal life.

   Read also:  How to deal with resentment: tips on how to get rid of touchiness and vulnerability

Previously, philosophers and psychoanalysts studied consciousness, but Tulving scientifically substantiated his classification and experimentally confirmed it.

The problem of the emergence of consciousness

The question of how and why consciousness arises is one of the key issues of modern philosophical and scientific knowledge. In one form or another, they intersect with the problem of anthropogenesis, but represent an independent topic of research. The fundamental uniqueness of consciousness condemns researchers to the search for its possible natural foundations, the development of which could become a prerequisite for human thinking. It should be noted that this problem was developed primarily within the framework of the most consistent functional science-oriented strategy.

In modern culture, consciousness is the object of close interest of a number of scientific disciplines, ranging from the physiology of higher nervous activity to psychology, sociology and cybernetics. The variety of scientific versions of consciousness indicates the undoubted complexity and versatility of this phenomenon, the development and functioning of which is determined by the influence of many factors, both natural and social. At the same time, the real experience of consciousness is characterized by a unique integrity, which is given primarily by the integrative nature of the self, self-awareness. Thus, consciousness can be interpreted as a complex multi-level system, including natural-psychic, individual-personal and sociocultural projections. Accordingly, the problem of the genesis of consciousness can be considered at several levels: in the context of natural evolution, in the context of the emergence of culture and society, and also from the point of view of ontogenesis (individual human development).

The natural basis for the emergence of consciousness was the property of reflection, presented in various forms at the level of living and inanimate matter. The emergence of consciousness would be a miracle without the evolution of various forms of reflection in living nature, which is its prehistory. In the course of the development of philosophy and science, it was proven that all matter has a property essentially related to sensations - the property of reflection. This position raised fundamental questions for science about the nature of reflection as an attribute of matter, about consciousness as the highest form of reflection, which is associated with the activity of the human brain.

Reflection characterizes the ability of material objects, in the process of interaction with other objects, to reproduce in their changes some signs and properties of the phenomena acting on them. The nature, content and form of reflection are determined by the level and characteristics of the systemic and structural organization of reflecting objects, as well as how they interact with the reflected phenomena. Outside and independently of interaction, reflection does not exist. The result of the reflection process is manifested in the internal state of the reflecting object and its external reactions.

In the development of reflection theory, two concepts are distinguished: functional and attributive. Proponents of the functional concept argue that inorganic objects have only prerequisites for the property of reflection, but not its active manifestation.

Stages of reflection

The main milestones in the evolution of matter and the development of reflection properties are as follows: Reflection in inanimate nature; reflection in living nature; social reflection.

In inanimate nature there are elementary forms of reflection. Reflection in inanimate nature, at the level of mechanical and physical systems, is weak. The question of the transition from inanimate to living matter has been poorly studied. Indeed, it remains to be clarified and explored how matter, which supposedly does not have feelings at all, is related to matter, which consists of the same atoms and elementary particles and at the same time has a pronounced reflective ability.

Currently, molecular biology data deserve special attention in this regard. DNA and RNA molecules contain and reproduce all the necessary information that programs individual development and continuity in the chain of generations of living systems. Genetic information is a unique, specific form of reflection of prehistory and the development of living objects in DNA molecules.

At the level of living nature, the following stages of reflection can be distinguished: Irritability - the body’s reaction to environmental influences. This form of reflection is characteristic of some plant species and single-celled organisms. The next form of reflection is sensitivity - the body’s ability to have sensations that reflect the individual properties of objects affecting the body. The highest form of biological reflection is the psyche, which is characteristic of both animals and humans.

Human consciousness is qualitatively different from the consciousness of animals. The main distinguishing features here are:

• abstract-logical thinking, which is associated with the ability to reflect the essential features and relationships of reality that are not given directly in perception;
• goal setting as the ability to ideally form the desired product of activity, which allows a person to creatively transform reality, rather than passively fit into it
• Self-perception, which determines the ability to distinguish oneself from the external environment;
• language as a second signaling system, allowing us to focus not so much on real physical processes, but on their sign-symbolic, linguistic correlates.

The formation of these features of consciousness became possible thanks to socio- and cultural genesis, in which abstract thinking, language, and the idea of ​​selfhood act as historical formations. At the origins of consciousness stood praxis, in which the primary act of thinking actually functioned as an “internal action” performed not with real objects, but with their ideal projections. The simplest logical operations required repeated actions with specific objects, which ultimately led to their crystallization into stable intellectual circuits. The peculiarity of the prelinguistic stage in the evolution of consciousness was thus determined by its visual and effective nature. Chronologically, it coincided with the period of anthropogenesis, which began about 5 million years ago and ended 50-40 thousand years ago. It was at this time that the structure of our thinking was formed, which exists today in the form of “archetypes of the collective unconscious” (C.G. Jung, 1875-1961).

Essence, main features and structure of consciousness

The philosophical concept of consciousness is a key integrating concept for the analysis of a person’s relationship with reality, characterizing one of the fundamental properties of highly organized matter, consisting in the active, creative ability of a person as a social being to imagine and realize the objective and subjective world in the form of ideal images, including existential-phenomenological and psychoanalytic traditions.

Thus, the essence of the philosophical study of the phenomenon of consciousness lies, first of all, in identifying the ontological status of consciousness. From this point of view, consciousness is realized with the help of the brain, but consciousness is not a function of the brain as such, but a function of a certain type of relationship of a socially developed person to the world. This characteristic of consciousness consists in clarifying the ontological origins of consciousness in those organizational forms of matter that precede man in the process of his evolution.

Secondly, an important feature of consciousness is its characterization from an epistemological point of view. In this regard, consciousness is a reflection of reality, arising from the formation of bodily organs such as the nervous system and its most highly organized part, the brain.

Thirdly, consciousness is an ideal, the essence of which is manifested in the form of ideal images.

Fourthly, consciousness is not only a reflection of activity, but also an attitude towards it. This determines the value and at the same time personal aspect of consciousness, which most clearly expresses the social nature of consciousness.

Fifthly, consciousness denotes the highest level of human mental activity, which, due to the ideal anticipation of human practical activity, allows us to give it a goal-oriented character.

Sixth, a philosophical understanding of consciousness involves an analysis of the conditions for the development of complex forms of self-awareness, human self-reflection, the uniqueness and uniqueness of the experience of the system of his relationships with reality, with society, with other people and with himself.

Seventh, consciousness is characterized by a multi-level structure, including as its components various forms of individual and social consciousness, conscious and unconscious, sensory and rational.

Eighth, the philosophical reflection of the twentieth century, in addition to the content, functional and sociocultural paradigms, revealed other, no less important dimensions of consciousness associated with the emergence of existential-phenomenological and psychoanalytic traditions, in which the emphasis is on describing the experience of individual consciousness, while reality, creative personal meanings are introduced (Husserl, Sartre, Jaspers, Freud and others).

The true nature of consciousness is multifaceted in its integrity and complexity, including pre-reflective and reflective aspects, conscious and unconscious, “archetypes” and associations, ontological and epistemological dimensions, self-awareness and self-identification in the ongoing creative dialogue of “I” and the world, “I” and the Other, interpersonal communication, conditioned variability and openness of human consciousness and human existence in the world.

The following concepts for explaining the nature of consciousness can be distinguished: objective-idealistic, dualistic, metaphysical, vulgar-materialistic and dialectical-materialistic.

The objective-idealistic concept of explaining the nature of consciousness recognizes the objectively existing absolute spiritual principle as the fundamental principle of the material world: the world of ideas of Plato, the absolute idea of ​​Hegel, the God of theologians. Consciousness is presented as a sensually intangible entity that gives rise to the world of things and human ideas.

The dualistic approach is based on the concept of psychophysical parallelism, according to which the mental and physical are considered as two independent substances (René Descartes).

Metaphysical materialism recognizes consciousness as secondary to matter and denies its active creative character. Consciousness is seen as a reflection of the external world.

Vulgar materialists identify consciousness and matter and reduce consciousness to material formations in the human brain.

Philosophical understanding of consciousness

1. Concept and structure of consciousness.

2. The origin and essence of consciousness.

3. Consciousness and language. The problem of artificial intelligence.

Awareness is a complex, multifaceted and multidimensional phenomenon. It is inextricably linked with such a key category of any worldview as man. Solving the problem of consciousness plays a decisive role in understanding the human problem.

Due to its exceptional complexity and versatility, consciousness is a subject of interest from many sciences and non-scientific forms of knowledge. Philosophy, using and generalizing the achievements of various forms of knowledge, focuses its attention on the analysis of such important issues as the essence, origin and structure of consciousness, possibilities and ways of its study. From ancient times to our time, these questions remain controversial and do not have a clear solution.

Idealists defend the idea of ​​the primacy of consciousness in relation to matter, considering it an independent, creative essence (substance) of all things and processes. Dualism (or psychophysiological parallelism) considers consciousness and body as principles independent of each other and does not see the relationship between mental and physiological processes in the body.

In contrast to idealism, materialism proceeds from the fact that matter is primary and consciousness is secondary. In the history of philosophy, materialists, unable to explain the connection between consciousness and inanimate matter, leaned toward hylozoism on the question of the origin of consciousness. Hylozoism (Greek hylе – substance; zoе – life) attributes the ability to sense all matter. “And stones think,” say the hylozoists. Representatives of hylozoism were the ancient Greek materialists. In the Renaissance and Modern times - J. Bruno, French materialists XVIII J. Robinet and D. Diderot. Hylozoism has not disappeared even today. Thus, the modern Western philosopher J. Deleuze believes that things are capable of thinking. W. Benjamin ascribes to things the ability to peer into the world around them, D. Haraway recognizes creative impulses in things, and B. Lautar even talks about the “parliament of things,” endowing them with the right to judge.

Unlike idealism and dualism, materialism views consciousness not as something autonomous, independent of matter, but, on the contrary, as its property. This property - unlike such attributes of matter as movement, space, time - is not universal. It is inherent in a special type of highly organized matter - the human brain. However, it is not the brain as such that realizes and thinks, but the person who has the brain, and the person is in unity with the system - natural, social, cultural - in which he is included as an actively operating element.

Materialism proceeds from the fact that matter exists outside and independently of consciousness, but consciousness does not exist outside of matter. Consciousness is secondary (but not secondary), derived from matter. From a materialistic point of view, the secondary nature of consciousness is considered in three aspects: 1) historical (consciousness as a special property of matter arises at a certain stage of its evolution); 2) psychophysiological (consciousness-function of the human brain); 3) epistemological or epistemological (consciousness is the highest form of reflection of the external world, characterized by meaningfulness and purposefulness).

In modern philosophy and science, instrumentalist, intentionalist and conditionalist programs for the study of consciousness are among the most promising.

Proponents of intentionalism

(from Latin
intentio
- direction) approach reduces consciousness to knowledge, for them consciousness is identical to knowledge. Consciousness, in their opinion, functions as “consciousness about something or someone,” i.e. it is always aimed at certain objects of the world. “The life of consciousness” is considered in relation to the objectivity opposing it, which is rationally comprehended and experienced in the experience of consciousness.

This position was further developed in instrumentalism

: consciousness is a kind of “personal computer”, the functional purpose of which (by analogy with “artificial intelligence”) is the extraction and transformation of information, pattern recognition, calculation and coordination of operations. It is emphasized that all this is extremely important in analysis and planning, management and decision-making in practice, knowledge and communication of people, since any human activity requires cognitive and information support.

Within the framework of conditionalist

(from Latin
conditio
- condition) programs focus on the dependence of consciousness on bodily organization, on the structure and functions of the psyche, the unconscious, communication factors, social environment, culture and human history. These heterogeneous conditions and determinants influence not only directly, but also indirectly (secretly), which very significantly affects the activity of consciousness and the creative potential of the individual. The study of this variety of influences makes it possible to reveal the mechanisms of the unconscious and the nature of their influence on all processes of consciousness.

Each of these programs mentioned is aimed at revealing the deep secrets of consciousness. The most fruitful among them is the position of supporters of conditionalist programs. Conditionalism gives a broader interpretation of consciousness without identifying it with knowledge. The ongoing study of problems of consciousness depending on internal and external conditions and factors of conscious activity allows us to provide a comprehensive approach to understanding the most complex phenomenon of consciousness. The results obtained within the framework of this approach have not only scientific, but also practical significance, primarily for the practice of education. The one-sided focus of education on the rationality of consciousness leads to the creation of an education model that focuses only on the processes of assimilation and use of knowledge. As a result of this, interpersonal relationships and even such intimate manifestations of consciousness as love are built on the basis of rational calculation, which leads to a decrease in the culture of feelings and spiritual and moral degradation of the individual.

Consciousness has a complex internal structure, including various elements and levels of its existence. At the same time, consciousness is a systemic formation, a holistically connected set of sensory, mental, emotional, volitional, mnemonic (memory processes) processes, each of which performs its own functions. This is a holistic process, since all components of consciousness are in natural connections and relationships with each other.

Let us turn to the characteristics of the main elements of the structure of consciousness. These include: sensation, thinking, will, memory, emotions, intuition, attention.

Sensation gives a person a direct reflection of individual external aspects of objects and phenomena.

Thinking is opposed to sensory cognition as an indirect reflection of the internal, essential side of objects and events.

Will —

it is the practical discovery of consciousness. This is not only the ability to desire, but also the ability to act, to carry out what is planned. Will as the force of life, according to F. Nietzsche, asserts itself, while the manifestation of lack of will is an expression of the negation of life.

occupies an extremely important place in the structure of consciousness , as the ability to imprint, store and reproduce information. Thus, memory gives coherence and stability to a person’s life experience and is a necessary prerequisite for the formation of personality.

Emotions —

this is the sphere of personal, subjective psychological experiences (premonitions, joy, delight, anger, fear, love, hatred, sympathy, antipathy). Emotions take on the functions of assessment and choice. Nothing happens in human life without emotional overtones.

Enormous cognitive potential is found in the intuitive ability of human consciousness. Intuition -

This is the ability to directly comprehend the truth by directly observing it without appropriate evidence. The peculiarity of intuitive “vision” (“insight”, “flash”) of consciousness is manifested in the unexpectedness of the solution to the problem, in the unawareness of the ways and means of solving it. This is the sphere of consciousness where spiritual ideals and creative abilities are presented in the form of fantasy, productive imagination.

An important element of consciousness is attention. Thanks to the concentration of attention, the object of interest to us is in the focus of consciousness. Objects and events that influence a person cause not only cognitive thoughts and ideas, but also certain emotions that manifest themselves in excitement, admiration, love, hatred, etc. Some philosophers and, especially, psychologists identify consciousness with attention.

In philosophical literature, there is an established idea of ​​the division of thinking into two main types: reason and reason.

Reason (or common sense) is defined as the lowest level of logical knowledge, based on the ideas and concepts of everyday life; as everyday calculating thinking, oriented towards practical benefit.

Reason is the highest level of logical understanding, a theoretical, philosophically thinking consciousness that operates with broad generalizations and is focused on the deepest knowledge of the truth.

The unity and comprehensive activation of the above and many other mental processes, taking into account the conditions for the formation of consciousness and the nature of its functioning allows us to better understand the nature of man and his consciousness.

The problem of the origin of consciousness will remain a mystery for science and philosophy if this problem is not approached historically, without taking into account the fact that consciousness, as a property of matter, arose at a certain stage of its evolution. The history of the emergence of consciousness is one of the components of the general process of development of matter, during which life, all the diversity of living nature, and then a thinking person arises and develops.

Consciousness is the highest form and the result of the development of an important property of matter - reflection. Reflection -

this is a change in one object under the influence of another, or, in other words, the transfer of the characteristics of one object to another in the process of their interaction.

The ability to reflect and its nature depends on the level of organization of matter. Reflection appears in qualitatively different forms in the inorganic world, in the world of plants, animals and, finally, in humans. In the simplest case, reflection in inorganic nature is mechanical deformations, physical and chemical changes that appear as a result of interaction.

With the emergence of life, qualitatively new forms of reflection are formed.

The simplest form of reflection in living nature is
irritability, which is the body’s response to external or internal influences of the environment in the form of excitation.
This form of reflection, which is adaptive in nature, is widespread in plants and protozoa. A higher form of biological reflection, compared to irritability, are reflexes

and
sensations.
Reflexes and sensations appear in animals with a nervous system.
At this stage of evolution, mental forms of reflection arise, characterized by selectivity and activity. A reflex is
a natural reaction of the body to external irritation, carried out with the participation of the central nervous system.
As organisms become more morphologically complex in the process of organic evolution, along with unconditioned
(or innate) reflexes and on their basis,
conditioned
(or acquired) reflexes appear in animals, and higher nervous activity arises.

Further development of the property of reflection inherent in matter occurred among our ancestors under the determining influence of social factors. More precisely, the process of the emergence of consciousness proceeded in unity with the emergence of society. The decisive role in this process of transition from the biological form of movement of matter to the social one belongs to labor activity. It contributed to the formation of abstract thinking and the emergence of higher, purely human forms of reflection.

Consciousness is a specifically human, inextricably linked with the brain, property of highly organized matter to reflect the material world in ideal (subjective) images.

Consciousness
is a set of mental processes that are actively involved in a person’s understanding of the external world and his own existence.
Consciousness is characterized by goal-setting.

Before doing anything, a person does it mentally, in ideal form.
The ideal is
a property of consciousness determined by the social nature of man. It represents a specific way of existence (being) of an object, reflected in the psyche of the subject in sensory and mental images, projects and patterns of activity, spiritual values ​​and ideals.

The ideal is a characteristic of consciousness as the opposite of matter. In this regard, it appears as a subjective reality,

opposed to objective reality. In contrast to the material, which has the properties of thingness, spatiality, and temporality, the ideal denotes non-extension, immateriality, meaningful similarity of the image and the corresponding object.

In other words, consciousness, on the one hand, relies on the material, has it as its prerequisite, and in this respect it is secondary. On the other hand, it is directed towards new material things, becoming objectified and objectified in new results of human activity, and acts in this regard as primary.

Consciousness has a creative, active character. It is aimed at transforming the world and creating a new one.

In this regard, let us turn to the concept of “ consciousness”

"
It characterizes a person and his activities from the point of view of the ability to act and create competently
.
In other words, consciousness is synonymous with the rationality
of human actions. This concept is also used to characterize the historical process. It indicates the presence of a high spiritual component in people’s actions, for example, awareness of the political process, attitude towards nature, etc. On the contrary, the lack of consciousness indicates spontaneity in people’s activities, its unreasonableness. Consciousness is an indicator of how capable people are of carrying out their activities with the help of knowledge about the world around them. The presence of consciousness characterizes a person as a being capable of acting intelligently and creatively.

Individual consciousness

characterized by:

§ activity (reflection of reality in the form of images anticipates a person’s practical actions, giving them a purposeful character); activity manifests itself in selectivity and focus;

§ focus on the subject (intentionality);

§ ability for self-reflection, introspection;

§ varying degrees of clarity: these levels are diagnosed in a person based on his self-reports - from concentration to loss of the subject of thought.

The communicative origin of consciousness determines the ability of mental dialogue with oneself, that is, it leads to the emergence of self-awareness (reflection).

Self-awareness —

This is a special level of consciousness at which the function of monitoring the activity of consciousness and maintaining its integrity is carried out. It involves a person singling out and distinguishing himself, his “I” from everything that surrounds him. This is a person’s ability to look at himself as if from the outside, to become aware of his actions, feelings, thoughts, motives of behavior, interests, and his position in society. It arises not as a spiritual mirror for idle narcissism, but under the influence of certain social conditions that require people to be able to evaluate their actions, words and thoughts from the point of view of certain social norms.

Self-awareness is closely related to the phenomenon of reflection. Reflection -

this is a person’s reflection on himself, when he peers into the innermost depths of his inner spiritual life. Levels of reflection can be varied - from elementary self-awareness to deep reflection on the meaning of one’s existence, its moral content. Understanding his own spiritual processes, a person often critically evaluates the negative aspects of his inner spiritual world, for example, getting rid of bad habits. Knowing himself, he never remains the same as he was before.

The unconscious is a set of mental formations, processes and mechanisms, the functioning and influence of which the subject is not aware of. Many human actions that seem random at first glance are determined by deep motives and complexes that the person himself is not aware of. These motives also manifest themselves in dreams, neurotic symptoms, creative products, etc. Today, there are four classes of manifestations of the unconscious:

1. Unconscious motivators of activity

(motives and semantic attitudes) that are not recognized due to their social unacceptability or discrepancy with other needs, motives and attitudes of the individual. The influence of this kind of motives and attitudes can lead to disturbances in adaptation and mental health of the individual. Correction of these disorders is carried out through psychotherapy, during which the client comes to an awareness of conflicting impulses and gains the opportunity to consciously control them.

2. Unconscious mechanisms

(in particular, mechanisms of a fixed attitude), ensuring the unhindered execution of habitual behavioral automatisms and stereotypes, the application of the subject’s existing skills and abilities in the appropriate situation. The operations underlying them are initially realized; as they are practiced and automated, they cease to be recognized.

3. Superconscious phenomena

(unconscious mechanisms of creative processes, the results of which are recognized as artistic images, scientific discoveries, manifestations of intuition, inspiration, creative insight, etc.).

4. Structures of the social unconscious

— unconscious linguistic, cultural, ideological and other schematisms, myths and social norms that determine the worldview of people belonging to a given culture. Unconscious processes do not require control by consciousness, which allows it to be freed up to perform other tasks. At the same time, the possibility of awareness (but not constant awareness) of the motives driving a person, intrapersonal conflicts and structures of the social unconscious allows a person to rise to a higher level of managing his behavior.

A constructive solution to the problem of consciousness is contained in the theory of S. Freud, in which questions of understanding the unconscious are developed. 3. Freud identified and described the following structural levels of consciousness: conscious, unconscious, subconscious, superconscious.

Conscious

(“I”) – according to Freud – is everything that is more or less ordered within itself and strives to order everything around (logic, reason). The conscious is the sphere of mental life, which is in the focus of consciousness, acts as directly open to the individual, as an actual flowing consciousness. Consciousness at this level processes information sequentially, strives for the unambiguity of its statements and the general validity of their interpretation.

Unconscious

(“It”) is a set of mental phenomena, states and actions that lie outside the sphere of the human mind and are not always accountable to it (eros, thanatos). This is a deep layer of consciousness. The sphere of the unconscious includes instincts from which man, as a biological being, is not free. Instincts give rise to subconscious desires, emotions, and impulses in a person, which manifest themselves in our consciousness in the form of drives, experiences, and affects. Z. Freud saw in the unconscious a source of both creative and destructive tendencies, which subsequently led to an ambiguous interpretation of the principles of his teaching.

Subconscious

- everything that has already been conscious or can become conscious under certain conditions. These are not only automatic, i.e. skills that have ceased to be recognized (for example, the skills of playing a musical instrument, routine work skills), but also social norms that are deeply internalized by the subject and become his conviction, the regulatory function of which is experienced as a “dictation of duty,” “call of the heart,” etc. These are so so-called automatisms and intuitive ideas can be generated with the help of consciousness, but then plunge into the sphere of the unconscious. Examples of automatisms demonstrate the protective function of the subconscious, due to which the load on consciousness is reduced and a person’s creative capabilities are increased.

Superconscious

or “Super-I” (“I-ideal”), Freud believes, is the upper level of the functioning of consciousness, which represents society in the structure of individual spiritual experience - sociocultural attitudes, requirements of public morality, norms of behavior and regulation accepted in society. “Super-I” is the highest authority in the structure of consciousness (mental life), playing the role of an internal censor, conscience. Superconsciousness is a special level of mental activity inherent in creative processes. One of the most important functions of the work of the superconscious is sublimation, that is, the transfer of energy accumulated in the world of instincts into cultural creation and creative activity.

Many philosophers, not without reason, consider consciousness as a gift to man, a miracle of the miracles of the universe. It is noted that consciousness is not only good, but at the same time a cross and a heaviness, for in it all the pain of the world is given. It is no coincidence that in order to relieve pain (mental or physical), consciousness is temporarily turned off with the help of drugs, alcohol, etc.

We know as little about the mechanism of consciousness as our ancestors knew about atmospheric electricity. Until now, scientists cannot give a comprehensive answer, for example, to such a question as: what is intelligence and is it necessary to go beyond the boundaries of our planet to search for it? After all, this property is attributed only to man and is measured only by human standards. However, the possibility of the existence of field life forms, unidentified flying objects (UFOs), poltergeists - require a more in-depth understanding of the existence of the world in general and the essence of consciousness in particular.

Consciousness is often defined as a person’s knowledge about the world around him and about himself, which, with the help of words, mathematical symbols, and images of works of art, can be transmitted to other people, including other generations in the form of cultural monuments. According to linguists, linguistic form is not only a condition for the transmission of thought, but also a condition for its implementation. People comprehend a thought already formed by linguistic signs. Outside of language, there are only unclear impulses, volitional impulses that result in gestures and facial expressions. Conscious is an event processed by the language system of the brain and formalized by means of language.

Human language is qualitatively different from the “language” of animals (gestures, sounds), which expresses their emotional state, desires, and needs. The “language” of animals is a closed system, strictly limited by an opportunistic attitude towards nature. Human language is an open, self-developing system that reflects the objective world, its properties and relationships, as well as the relationships of people. It enables a person to comprehend the world and his own activities in it.

Of course, a person can express his thoughts and feelings by other, quite diverse means. Thus, the thoughts and feelings of a musician are expressed in sounds, an artist - in drawings and paints, a sculptor - in forms, a designer - in drawings, a mathematician - in formulas, geometric figures, etc. Thoughts and feelings can be expressed in human actions. But we must keep in mind the following: no matter what means thoughts are expressed, they are ultimately translated into verbal language - a universal means among the sign systems used by humans. This special property of language is caused by its connection with thinking.

The closeness of thinking and language, their close relationship leads to the fact that thought receives its adequate (or closest to such) expression in language. A thought that is clear in content and harmonious in form is expressed in intelligible and consistent speech. Let us remember the popular wisdom: “He who thinks clearly speaks clearly.”

The essence of language is expressed in its main functions: nominative

(the ability of language to name things, phenomena – “to give names”);
cognitive (
participation in the process of cognition: we not only speak as we think, but also think as we speak);
informative
(the ability to store, transmit, reproduce information);
communicative
(the ability to communicate at various levels).

Language is the same necessary artificial mediator in a person’s relationship to the world as the instrument of its transformation—technology. A born person until he masters these two main intermediaries - tools and language - does not become a person in the full sense of the word. At the same time, consciousness is not limited to what can be expressed in language and rationally assimilated.

With the advent of computer technology, the problem of consciousness and language turned out to be closely related to the problem of artificial intelligence. The term “intelligence” in philosophy is interpreted as the highest cognitive ability of thinking, which is characterized by a creative, active character in contrast to passively sensory forms of cognition. This term was first used by N.V. Gogol, denoting a person’s ability to know and comprehend something.

Artificial intelligence

is a metaphorical concept to designate a system of means created by people that reproduce certain functions of human thinking.

The priority area for the use of artificial intelligence is computer expert systems. Special disciplines studying the problem of artificial intelligence are initially focused on a comprehensive comprehensive understanding of this problem and are called upon to develop rules for constructing algorithms for the operation of computer equipment that would have the character of a reasonable, purposeful activity. With the help of machines, one can artificially reproduce such a property as thinking, but modeling and possessing this property are fundamentally different things.

If the thinking of animals, their “language”, remains at the level of elementary thinking. Animals have memory; they are characterized by the rudiments of analysis, synthesis and other mental operations carried out at the level of object images, but not concepts. In humans, consciousness is associated with abstract conceptual thinking.

Unlike humans and animals, a machine with so-called “artificial intelligence” operates not with images, but with signs. Here the process of “self-learning” can be carried out (self-learning, self-programming computers or computers). However, this “learning” is of a special kind. The fact that a computer, say, is capable of proving mathematical theorems does not mean that it can also play chess or solve scientific problems and vice versa. Of course, a computer can perform many mental operations, much faster than a human. But completely replace a person. The illusion of “reasonableness” is achieved not only by speed, but also by a successful combination of sequentially and parallelly operating processors that carry out formalized procedures. But still, a computer cannot completely replace a person. And, first of all, because the computer works according to a program put into it by a person, and therefore is in his power.

It should be borne in mind that the problem of artificial intelligence has a centuries-old history. Previously, when creating computing devices, as a rule, they went by simulating the objective actions of a person or his thinking. Currently, work on artificial intelligence is carried out in three main areas:

— reproduction of human creative abilities;

— the use of interactive forms of “communication” between a person and computer systems (translation of formalized texts into natural languages, understanding of natural language by computers);

— creation of robotics, the most important element of which is “artificial intelligence”.

A person with his consciousness and a computer are moving towards each other. Technology is increasingly beginning to act as a partner in human life. Natural intelligence, coupled with “artificial” intelligence, enhances a person’s creative capabilities, confronting him with the need for a new paradigm of thinking that can ensure their unity and integrity in the interests of preserving and further development of humanity.

To summarize, it is advisable to once again emphasize that consciousness is an open system in which there is not only the sphere of the rational, mental, but also the sensual, emotional, and volitional. All components of the structure of consciousness taken together characterize the new possibilities of man as a creative and self-creating being.

***

In the reference literature on the problem of consciousness, see the following articles:

Modern philosophical dictionary. - M.-Beshpek-Ekaterinburg, 1996. Art.: “Consciousness”, “Language”, etc.

New philosophical encyclopedia. In 4 volumes - M., 2001. Art.: “Consciousness”, “Unconscious”, “Artificial Intelligence”.

Philosophical encyclopedic dictionary. — K., 2002. Art.: “Vibrazhennya”, “Idealne”, “Svidomist”, “Mova”, “Piece Intelligence”.

Consciousness and language

Consciousness is inseparable from language and arises simultaneously with it. There are certain relationships between consciousness and language. Language functions as a form of existence of consciousness. The connection between consciousness and language is manifested in the fact that the emergence and formation of individual consciousness is possible when a person is involved in the world of verbal language. Together with language, a person masters the logic of thinking, he begins to think about the world and about himself. The richer the content of a person’s spiritual world, the more he needs linguistic signs to convey it. A change in language is an indicator of a change in consciousness. Language is a system of signs with the help of which a person understands the world and himself. A sign is a material object that reflects the properties of another object. We can distinguish natural (oral, verbal, written language, sounds) and artificial, based on the natural (language of logic, mathematics, music) system of language signs.

One of the conditions for the possibility of forming and objectifying an individual’s consciousness is the ability to explain one’s independent existence using language. Thanks to linguistic communication, a person acquires the ability to consciousness and self-awareness. The content of consciousness directly depends on the space of linguistic communication. The characteristics of the national language influence the nature and content of the national culture. For example, European languages ​​are focused on a rational attitude towards the world and contain fewer words to convey an emotional state and internal experience. The difference between consciousness and language is that thought is a reflection of objective reality, and the word is a way of recording and transmitting thoughts. Language promotes mutual understanding between people, as well as people's awareness of their actions and themselves.

The importance of language for understanding the experience of consciousness is enormous. Indeed, every fact of our consciousness is reflected in the corresponding linguistic structure: a statement, a word, a name. Language serves as a means of forming and expressing thoughts. It functions as a universal cultural mechanism for preserving and transmitting information and communication. Language is a necessary mediator between man and the world, the perception and knowledge of which is possible only through the prism of language. For example, each language contains a certain “conceptual scheme”, which, through specific grammatical forms, establishes the categorical-logical structure of the perception of space, time, modality, quantity, quality, and the like, characteristic of a given or another ethnocultural group.

The connection between consciousness and processes occurring in the brain

Consciousness is always connected with these processes occurring in the brain and does not exist apart from them.

• Consciousness is the highest form of reflection of the world and is associated with articulate speech, logical generalizations, abstract concepts, which is unique to humans.
• The core of consciousness, the way of its existence, is knowledge.
• Work develops consciousness.
• Speech (language) shapes consciousness.
• Consciousness is a function of the brain.
• Consciousness is multicomponent, but constitutes a single whole.
• Consciousness is active and has the ability to influence the surrounding reality.

Consequently, for the characteristics of the highest form of life, consciousness, we must thank the socio-historical experience of generations, labor, language and knowledge.

Exclusive material from the site “www.effecton.ru - psychological tests and correctional programs.” Borrowing text and/or related materials is only possible if there is a direct and clearly visible link to the original. All rights reserved.

Consciousness and thinking

Philosophers can distinguish between “consciousness” and “thought”, highlighting different modes (or, as F. Bacon said, different orders) of the functioning of consciousness: spontaneous (or naturally formed in the process of direct human activity) and autonomous, i.e. giving itself its own foundations and rules of operation.

In its everyday existence, human consciousness is directly and spontaneously involved in the world and in the processes of individual life. In this natural participation in the world, man is always perceiving, understanding, and interpreting in some way.

Such consciousness cannot yet be called thinking in the strict sense of the word, since, while remaining a spontaneous consciousness of the world and itself, it acts not on the basis of its own principles, but on the basis of opinions, prejudices, habits, traditions, and so on.

Elementary consciousness has not yet forced itself to think. Thinking turns out to be a work, a task of consciousness over itself, if it wants to learn to think naturally, i.e. objectively understand the world and oneself, act autonomously and rationally. This assumes that consciousness works through itself according to certain special rules.

The living experience of “real evidence” of all the contents and meanings of experience is one of the conditions for genuine thinking and being among philosophers of different eras - from Plato to Descartes and Kant, to phenomenology and existentialism. Freeing itself from everything that was inherited through education, traditions, habits, etc., thought strives to find in itself some “ultimate truths,” some primordial truths that can be confidently accepted as the basis of reliable knowledge.

Brain research, functional asymmetry

The next stage in the study of consciousness is brain research. Let us consider, for example, what contribution the functional asymmetry of the brain makes to the functioning of the neural mechanisms of vision, which plays an important role in attention processes. The left and right hemispheres play different roles in perception and image formation.

The right hemisphere is characterized by high speed of recognition, its accuracy and clarity. It most likely compares the image with some standards available in memory on the basis of identifying similar informative features in the perceived object.

The left hemisphere carries out a mainly analytical approach to image formation, associated with the sequential selection of its elements according to a certain program. However, if the left hemisphere works in isolation, then it will not be able to integrate the perceived and selected elements into a holistic image. With its help, phenomena are classified and assigned to a specific category through the designation of a word. Thus, both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously take part in any psychological process.

Functional asymmetry of the brain led scientists to believe that there are two types of consciousness: spatial knowledge in the right hemisphere, and language knowledge in the left hemisphere. This assumption has led to a large number of studies and classifications of levels of consciousness.

Each sensory modality has its own levels of consciousness. Sensations from each level enter the cognitive system, but we are not aware of them until we direct our attention to them.

From this we can conclude that we can easily control our consciousness, but, alas, due to the fact that it operates at different levels, this is not easy to do. There are, as it were, two levels of information availability: easy and difficult to access.

Easily accessible information is quickly transferred from the preconscious memory to the conscious one, while difficult-to-access information, being in the subconscious memory, may not transfer to the conscious one. It is possible that this approach is quite controversial, but one thing is clear: the study of consciousness is very important for the study of attention and memory.

The whole world is an illusion: the inconsistency of the theory of the illusory nature of consciousness

There is such a theory of consciousness as illusionism. This materialist theory argues that our idea of ​​consciousness is flawed precisely because we can make mistakes.

But it can be assumed that the theory of illusionism is only a conceptual confusion. Of course, illusions about the inner world can arise, just as illusions about the outer world can arise. You have confused the rope with a snake - and you have an illusory idea.

But when we say that consciousness is an illusion, then by the word “illusion” we mean something completely different. Theorists who talk about this do not mean our erroneous judgments, but the reality about which we make a judgment. And talking about the illusory nature of consciousness in this sense is the same as talking about the illusory nature of physical data.

If we defend this position to the end, then illusionists should, following Schopenhauer and supporters of the Indian philosophy of Vedanta, say that the whole world is Maya, a great illusion. However, illusionists are not ready to go that far. They believe that physical reality actually exists, and consciousness is illusory. And here they make a serious conceptual miscalculation.