Abstract

In this paper I try to consider the question of understanding as a special mental capacity in the light of the neuroscientific approach and the philosophical tradition. I assert that it is not sufficient to explain the process of understanding on the subpersonal level. The understanding has several dimensions that are revealed only in the aspect of interpretation, communication and social interaction. This kind of understanding implies the meta-representational knowledge, which we wanted to present on the example of rational and hermeneutic thinking. It should be clear that in these cases, the reduction of holistic higher mental states gathered in the form of the mind theory to the neuronal level is not possible.