Any interaction with the world begins with the process of its comprehension, in philosophy divided into various complementary forms of cognition. There are many subspecies, however, sensory cognition (sometimes called contemplation, although this is not entirely true) and mental analysis are among the main ones.
In general, cognition is a set of methods for obtaining new knowledge about the surrounding real-life reality, about objects and processes. The need for knowledge is explained in different ways, depending on the point of view of the initiator. For example, in the Middle Ages, the ultimate goal of this process was considered to be the ability to control nature, to correct the laws of the universe. In the modern world, thanks to scientific discoveries, it has become clear that it is impossible to directly achieve such power. Therefore, all forms of cognition are striving for the attainment of truth. This is a logical development of a person’s worldview.
There is a division into the main forms of cognition - scientific and unscientific, which, in turn, consist of many subspecies. One of the most accessible forms is cognition through the senses. When using it, objective reality is recorded by the human senses directly or using instruments. Based on the results of recent studies of quantum physics, the philosophy is increasingly convinced that even such knowledge affects the studied subject (process).
There are three forms of cognition through the senses - representation, perception, and sensation. A key feature of sensation is its subjectivity. In other words, two observers may perceive reality differently. Moreover, in this case it is not necessary to confuse such concepts as “subjectivity” and “subjectivity”, since we are not talking about a distorted reflection of reality. The sensations include the following: taste, hearing, eyesight, smell, touch. Sensations of vibration, acceleration, temperature, etc. are also attributed to this.
Perception is a product of brain activity. Data from various receptors forms a holistic image of a phenomenon or object. For example, rain is not perceived as separate components (drops, wind, overcast).
The next stage of sensory knowledge is representation. It is a synthesis of sensation and perception. The observer does not need to interact directly with the studied subject all the time. Based on previously obtained data, a generalization is mentally performed and assumptions are made. For example, knowing the structure of the modern world, you can imagine its appearance in the past or the future.
One of the forms of comprehension of reality is religious knowledge. His starting point is God. Most often, the fact of its unity is taken on faith. The purpose of such knowledge is to achieve better living conditions in the future mythical world. Often religion is associated with a person’s self-knowledge.
In modern society, scientific knowledge has gained particular importance. It allows you to get an objective idea of the processes of reality. Its objectives are as follows: to describe, explain, and predict. The following levels of scientific knowledge are distinguished: rational (or theoretical) and sensory. In turn, the definition of “empirical” was entrenched in the latter. Experimentation and direct observation - this is the path of empirical knowledge. Further, on the basis of empirically gained knowledge, generalization is performed and theories, hypotheses are created, and attempts to predict are followed. The theoretical way of knowing cannot give knowledge of truth in its purest form, since explanatory models are used to explain it, one or another form of sensory perception takes place.
