The essence of the phenomenon of consciousness
A. N. Leontyev studied the patterns of mental development. He did this in the context of a materialistic understanding of the psyche as the highest form of reflection of objective reality (activity approach). When studying the issue of the origin of sensation and the mechanisms of sensory reflection, Leontiev identified and characterized the main stages of the development of the psyche.
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In its evolution, the psyche goes through a number of stages, which begin with the sensory, and end with the perceptual and then the intellectual stage. Finally, the formation of consciousness occurs. Consciousness is a feature of the psyche, which becomes a product of socio-historical development. The possibility of the existence of consciousness is associated with the use and production of tools, the beginning of the use of elements of language, knowledge and norms of behavior in society.
To explain the possibilities of improving the human psyche based on social experience, I.P. Pavlov introduced the concept of the first and second signal systems.
The first signaling system is a type of signaling system that involves the orientation of animals to a direct stimulus (for example, a visual, auditory, tactile signal associated with adaptive conditioned and reflex reactions).
The second signaling system concentrates more on symbolic, primarily verbal, signals. On their basis, temporary nerve connections are formed.
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Humans are characterized by the combined action of these two signaling systems. For this reason, I.P. Pavlov proposed considering specific types of higher nervous activity with a predominance of the corresponding system. Depending on this, the artistic type is defined as the predominance of the first signaling system, the mental type - of the second system. The average type is balanced on this basis.
Origin
There are two key concepts:
- Idealistic . Consciousness appears in human nature without the intervention of any earthly laws. There are various attempts to explain this approach. Thus, Kant was of the opinion that reason exists in God and at the moment a person is born, it inhabits him. From a religious point of view, a person is initially born without consciousness, but in the first weeks of his life it penetrates into the body along with the soul.
- Materialistic. Reason is the result of a person’s ability to reflect all the diversity of surrounding reality. This concept is represented by three main theories: labor theory, genetic error theory, and bifurcation theory.
The labor approach is based on Charles Darwin's theory of the origin of species. The reason for the development of abilities lies in the joint work of people, the emergence of the need to use speech to communicate with each other.According to the theory of genetic error, man became the result of a failure in the evolutionary development program. And the bifurcation theory focuses on the possibility of a powerful leap in the development of nature, as a result of which a person with a formed mindset appeared.
Disputes about the origin of consciousness are conducted not only in the psychological plane. This question is also of interest to philosophers, historians, physiologists, and physicists.
L. Kohlberg's theory
of moral thinking of an individual deserves special attention .
According to the scientist, the entire process of evolution that a person goes through from early childhood to adulthood is directly related to cognitive activity.
It is thanks to the ability to cognition that a person masters emotions, forms ideas about moral principles, and understands his gender.
Kohlberg involved children in psychological experiments aimed at identifying patterns in the development of moral judgments . In the course of numerous experiments, it was found that the moral consciousness of an individual consists of three levels:
- Preconditional . Actions are assessed in terms of possible consequences.
- Traditionally moral. The values and attitudes recognized by society are recognized as more significant than the individual interests of the individual.
- Post-traditional . Moral judgments are formed on the basis of one's own developed principles.
Kohlberg argued that the transition from one level of cultural development to another directly depends on age-related changes.
As a child grows up, his moral attitudes are influenced by the views of his parents, level of education, preferences of peers, desire for encouragement from society, and the development of logical thinking.
Prerequisites and conditions for occurrence
The main prerequisite for the development of human mental activity was the appearance of the first tools .
Mastery of these tools allowed people to begin working.
The need to coordinate efforts led to the development of speech as a method of communication.
In addition, work activity itself, by its nature, encouraged the development of consciousness: a person comes to understand that there is an object and a goal that can be achieved with the help of this object. This is how purposeful activity was formed.
The more people mastered the tools of labor, the further progress they made, the higher their level of awareness of their behavior became.
In the process of joint activity, people came to understand that their personal needs were satisfied simultaneously with common needs. The first ideas about social consciousness and community of interests appeared.
In ontogeny
The level of thinking of a newly born child and an adult differ significantly ; this fact is not disputed, unlike the question of the origin of consciousness.
Scientists also agree that there is a direct relationship between the level of development of consciousness and the individual characteristics of a particular person and the specifics of his environment.
The theory of A.N. deserves special attention. Leontyev. According to the scientist, a person is born with a certain innate, unconditional reflex organization of behavior.
Then, in the process of his existence, he assimilates the historical experience of his ancestors, and it is this experience that is the fundamental stage in the development of consciousness .
The driving force that contributes to the assimilation of experience is growing up.
Consciousness as the highest stage of mental development
Consciousness is the highest level of mental reflection. This form is characteristic of humans and is intended to reflect the objective stable properties and patterns of the environment. Thanks to it, people develop an internal model of external reality. Consciousness helps to understand and change the world around us.
The function of consciousness as the highest form of reflection is to create goals of activity, when the mental construction of actions and the anticipation of their results are first carried out. This process is designed to ensure reasonable regulation of human behavior and activities.
Consciousness includes the appropriate attitude of a person to the environment and to the people around him. It is customary to distinguish several properties of consciousness:
- Relationship building;
- Cognition;
- The process of experiencing.
This implies the direct inclusion of thinking and the emotional sphere in the processes of consciousness. The main function of thinking is represented by the determination of objective relations between the phenomena of external reality. The main function of emotions is to create a person’s subjective attitude towards people, objects, and phenomena.
In the structure of consciousness there is a synthesis of these forms and types of relationships. They help determine both the organization of behavior and the underlying processes of self-esteem and self-awareness. Really existing in a single stream of consciousness, images and thoughts are capable of being colored with the help of emotions and become experiences.
The development of consciousness occurs in an individual mainly in social contacts. In phylogenesis, it was improved and became possible under the condition of active influence on the natural environment in the conditions of labor activity. Consciousness manifests itself only with the existence of language and speech. These processes arise at the same time as consciousness during the labor process.
The primary act of consciousness is represented by the act of identification with cultural symbols. They organize human consciousness and make man human. Following the identification of meaning, symbols and identification with it comes the implementation and active activity of children in the field of reproducing patterns of behavior, speech and thinking. Consciousness is characterized by the active activity of the child, reflecting the world around him and the regulation of behavior.
Consciousness and self-awareness
Consciousness is the highest function of the brain, characteristic of living nature only to humans.
This function is directly related to speech and is expressed in the brain’s ability to perceive, reflect and process information coming from the surrounding reality, in the ability to plan actions and anticipate their results, in the ability to control and regulate behavior.
Consciousness consists of various components: attention, memory, will. Each of them performs a specific function. Thus, attention allows you to assimilate information coming from outside.
Memory contributes to the understanding of this information and the ability to use it in the future. And will helps to focus oneself on achieving goals and obtaining the desired results.
The mind helps a person to understand the world around him and to function successfully in society.
By acquiring knowledge about himself, about other people, about nature, about the laws of social life, a person gets the opportunity to successfully socialize in his environment.
Also, thanks to consciousness, the manifestation of imagination becomes possible . People can not only perceive real objects and phenomena, but also reproduce in their minds any desired images.
It is this property of the psyche that allows you to create works of art and make scientific discoveries .
With the help of consciousness, a person evaluates his actions and their compliance with existing requirements.
He develops principles of self-control , regulation of his behavior.
Consciousness allows you to both navigate the present and predict the future - make plans, anticipate the development of events.
Self-awareness is a special higher form of thinking. It allows you to perceive yourself as a physical organism, as a person, with its inherent qualities, attitudes, emotions and feelings.
A person has the opportunity not only to objectively assess his own individual traits , but also to successfully integrate into the environment.
Thanks to the presence of self-awareness, a person receives the opportunity for constant self-development and self-improvement. He freely defines his desires and needs.
Criteria, stages, levels
There are three stages in the development of internal perception:
- Ideas about your physical body, defining yourself as a separate organism.
- Attributing oneself to a certain social group, perceiving one’s personality from the point of view of its social role.
- Full perception of your “I”. The individual develops his own value systems, he feels like a full-fledged person.
The criteria for self-awareness include :
- degree of autonomy from other subjects of society;
- level of activity (ability to manage oneself);
- recognizing in others qualities that are inherent in one’s own personality;
- the presence of reflection - the ability to understand oneself, self-improvement and development.
Using these criteria, you can determine the degree of an individual’s internal perception of his personality , identify existing problems and internal disagreements.
Thus, with a high degree of reflection, activity and autonomy, we can talk about the integrity of the individual and its successful integration in society without compromising one’s own individuality.
Levels of self-awareness:
- direct-sensory (sensations, experiences);
- holistically-shaped (maintaining one’s “I”);
- reflective (introspection, introspection);
- purposeful-active (synthesis of the three previous levels, as a result of which numerous motivational, behavioral forms of thinking are formed: self-control, self-expression, self-esteem, etc.).
