Semantikos: Understanding and Cognitive Meaning
Abstract
Traditional epistemology has had an overriding emphasis since Descartes upon knowing,
certainty, and truth, said to be obtained through cogitation. An alternative epistemology
would emphasize cognitive meaning, ambiguity, and meaninglessness within a presumptive
scheme of semantiks, in contrast to the gnostic Cartesian model. Thereby cognition
becomes naturalized and intelligible within the framework of biological evolution, in which
species-characteristic forms of intelligence may be seen to unfold through phylogeny.
Both scientific advance and pedestrian reasoning may be fruitfully interpreted by this
novel focus upon cognitive meaning devoid of any epistemic function professedly providing
psychological or objective “certainty.” Objective rationality as a whole may be seen to
emerge solely from the operations of understanding itself within individual and cultural
contexts. Suggestions are given as to the structure and dynamics of comprehension that
generate species-characteristic forms of cognitive meaning.
Requests for reprints should be sent to Mark Crooks, Institute of Mind and Behavior, P.O. Box 522, Village Station, New York City, New York 10014.
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