Human intellect Flashcards
Brain
The relationship between brain and the mind(intellect) is that of a physical organ at the service of spiritual power
Independence of the mind
The mind is the rational part of a person while the brain is the physical or biological component.
Characteristics of a rational being
Can think Can make personal decisions Somaticity- thinking being with a body Transcended Spirituality
Object of the intellect
Truth is something principally attributed to judgements of our understanding
Reality is the validating factor in truth
Intellect enables one to understand reality, and the more the grasp of reality the more intelligent is the person
Proof for existence of intellectual knowledge
Man has ideas of goodness, of virtue, sport, work, society which do not refer to anything material or concrete but something universal and abstract .
Capacity to judge and reason (we get science whereby man knows how to coordinate his knowledge in systematic form)
Process of understanding
Abstraction
Judgement
Reasoning
Abstraction
It is the formation of concepts of ideas.
Concepts are devoid of any materiality
Numbers are abstract concepts
Language is an expression of concepts and not the other way round
Application of concepts
Universally- all men
Particularity – these or some men
Singularly – this man
Judgement
In a judgement we compose or divide according to the real union of things and we affirm something is or isnot
A judgement is noted by a subject and predicate
We combine concepts
Reason
It is the movement of the mind whereby starting with several judgements which we relate to one another, we arrive at a new judgement which necessarily follows from the preceding ones eg through syllogism
Knowledge
In the act of understanding there is a certain possession of the known (the object) by the senses and the mind
Knowledge is the possession of the known by the knower
Sensitive knowledge
Is the knowledge of the senses
My eyes possess color
Each of the senses possess some knowledge
Conceptual knowledge
Concept- interior representation of the thing/being and is possessed in the mind
In this knowlegde idea is formed
Idea- is an interior sign-word – of the being experinced
Intelligence- the capacity to produce ideas
Reflexive knowledge (consciousness)
Man is the only being who knows and can know that he knows.
Man is aware about the thought process
Reflexive is a way of attaining truth
Truth
Truth is the conformance of the mind with reality-the beginning point of the reflexive process is reality. Truth expresses reality faithfully
Types of truth
Logical - Truth in the mind
Ontological - Reality
Logical truth
The conformity of the intellect to things, conforming itself to that which they are, is logical truth or truth of the mind, for which we say that the mind is true.
The logical truth in my mind agrees with reality
Ontological truth
Ontological truth is the conformity of some beings to some intelligence. It is important to state that this type of truth does not depend on the fact that they be known. It should conform to the mind of the creator.
Ontological truth is truth outside the subject, i.e. objective truth.
Immateriality of the intellect
The actions which my mind performs are not material. The process of abstraction, judgment and reasoning are not physical actions.
The thinking process is limitless. One cannot reach the end of thinking, neither can one say he knows enough and the mind is full of concepts
The perceived object is immaterial (nature of object)
Can deny things it perceives – through reflection
Intelligence Quotient IQ
refers to the capacity of an individual to abstract and read into the nature of things, including his ability to analyze ideas.
Emotional intelligence
Refers to competence to identify and express emotions , understand emotions, assimilate emotions in thought and regulate both positive and negative emotions in the self and others
Roles- think in the right way
- understand others, reason with others, network with others
A person with emotional intelligence is able not only to think in the right way, but is able to understand others (empathetic), can feel what they feel, can reason with others and can use this in making decisions which are mutually beneficial to all.
Emotional intelligence entails four aspects:
identification of emotions
ii) reflection on these emotions and how they impact thinking and relating with others
iii) monitoring emotions
iv) management of emotions through appraisal and expression of emotions in the right way.
Trends about truth
People who tend to relativize truth can say that truth is an individual matter (liberalism), truth depends on what society defines truth to be (social constructivism), truth depends on the structures (structuralism) or truth comes from within and the categories I have (immanentism).
Current trends on truth and its objectivity
Debate since Rene Descartes ‘ i think therefore i am’
Truth as a fad which changes with time
Truth as social construct
Truth as individual take
