The role of practice in cognition: basic concepts, their forms and functions, the criterion of truth

Curiosity is the engine of progress, without which it is difficult to imagine the development of our civilization. Knowledge is an objective reality that reproduces the real picture of the world around us. Man has always sought to understand how everything works. Therefore, the role of practice in cognition is so important, because it ensures the improvement, expansion and deepening of the information already collected. And today's article will be devoted to it. We will discuss the concept of practice, the role of practice in cognition and the criteria of truth.

Definition of concepts

If we want to understand what the role of practice in cognition is, first we need to determine the basic terms. Both concepts are tightly interconnected. It is believed that knowledge and practice are the two sides of the historical process. Man seeks to understand the laws and features of the world. However, this can not be done at a time, so years of practice are needed that help to expand the accumulated experience. There are three main aspects of knowledge:

• Abilities, skills and abilities. This aspect is related to a person's awareness of how something is being done or being done.
• All information that is relevant to the process of knowing the world around.
• Epistemological form of human connection and reality. This aspect is a special cognitive unit. It exists only in connection with the practical attitude.

Knowledge is the ideal image of reality. The second and third aspects are the subject of epistemology. This science studies the laws of knowledge. It was also practiced by ancient philosophers. In sophistemology the sophists succeeded. For example, Protagoras and Gorgias. They sought to develop the flexibility of thinking, and for this it was necessary to have a holistic view of the world, an understanding of its essence.

Forms of practice:

• Labor activity (material production). This form is a natural being for people. It is aimed at the transformation of nature.
• Social activity. This form is a change in social being. It is aimed at transforming the established traditions of interaction between people. Social action is carried out by so-called mass forces: revolutions, wars, reforms.
• Scientific experiment. This form of practice is an active activity. In this case, the researcher not only observes, but joins the process. He can artificially create the conditions that he needs to analyze the properties of the surrounding world.

Functions of practical experience

It is extremely important for a person to understand the objective picture of the surrounding reality. Practice and cognition are two sides of this process. Only by experience of trial and error can a person understand how everything works. The role of practice in knowledge philosophy can be explained through the functions of the first:

• Source of knowledge. Experience becomes an essential element of the analysis of the surrounding reality.
• Driving force. Practice is the basis of scientific knowledge.
• The secondary goal of cognition.
• A criterion of truth. Only in practice it is possible to verify the correctness of scientific knowledge. And this is a whole process, not a one-off act.

Explanation of functions

If we describe the role of practice in cognition briefly, it can always be said that all the information known to us was not collected at all by chance. For example, a person needed to properly distribute land. For these purposes, and developed mathematics. Because of the development of navigation, man began to pay attention to astronomy. However, practice does not always determine cognition. Sometimes it happens the other way round: it happened with the discovery of Mendeleyev's periodic law . The whole cognitive process is conditioned by practical tasks and goals. Even the derivation of abstract theories is aimed at solving the problems that humanity has encountered on the path of its development. The role of practice in cognition is such that it helps to find all the new properties of familiar phenomena. It provides science with all the new technical means, equipment, instruments and tools. The trial and error method is used at all stages of the study. It must be understood that all experiments and observations are carried out not so much from idle curiosity, but from necessity. All the knowledge gained is practically applied. They are a kind of guidance for action and serve to improve people's lives.

The role of practice in cognition

Epistemology is a separate section of philosophy. He studies the role of practice in scientific cognition. F. Bacon distinguished three ways of studying the world:

• "The path of science." In this case, the researcher deduces truths from pure consciousness. Bacon exposed this method inherent in the Scholastics.
• "The way of the ant". In this case, the researcher collects various facts, but does not generalize them conceptually. This is also a false way of knowing.
• "The way of the bee". This method is a generalization of the first two. In this case, the researcher uses both his sensory and rational principle.

Criteria of truth

The goal of knowledge is understanding the objective picture of the world. The category of truth is central to the theory of knowledge. Obtaining an objective picture of the world is possible only by trial and error. Truth is knowledge that corresponds to its real object. Its main criterion is that it is recognized by many people. Also, truth must be useful and beneficial to the human community. However, this concept is often relative. The choice between the various concepts and theories that draw a picture of the surrounding world is often quite subjective.