Human Cognition, Patterning and Deacon’s Absentials: The Value of Absent-Mindedness in the Sense of Minding What Is Absent

Philosophies

Tandoc, Marlie¹  Logan, Robert K.² 

[1] Book and Media Studies, University of St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto, 60 St. George, Toronto, ON M5S 1A7, Canada;Department of Physics, University of Toronto, 60 St. George, Toronto, ON M5S 1A7, Canada

关键词: absentials;    abiotic matter;    patterning;    constraints;    cognition;    imagination;   

DOI  :  10.3390/philosophies3040026

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Important aspects of human cognition are considered in terms of patterning, which we claim represents a shift from focusing on what is present to what is absent. We make use of Deacon’s notion of absentials and apply it to the patterning that underscores human cognition. Several important aspects of human cognition are considered that represent a shift from focusing on what is present to what is absent, namely, language as representing the transition from percept to concept-based thinking, mathematical grouping and patterning of items into sets that gave rise to verbal language, as well as imaginative thinking which is so critical for the development of the arts, mathematics and science. The connection between information and absence is also examined, in which we claim that information is an absential, paralleling an idea of Deacon’s.

【 授权许可】

CC BY