Cognition as a phenomenon is studied by a science called epistemology.
From the point of view of this science, the term refers to a set of methods, processes, procedures for comprehending the world, society, and objective reaction.
There are several types of cognition.
• Religious, the object of which is God (regardless of religion). Through God, man is trying to understand himself, the value of his personality.
• Mythological inherent to the primitive system. Cognition of the world through the personification of unknown concepts.
• Philosophical. This is a very special, holistic way of knowing the world, personality, their interaction. It does not imply comprehension of individual things or phenomena, but the finding of general, universal laws of being.
• Artistic. Reflection and acquisition of knowledge through images, symbols, signs.
• Scientific. The search for knowledge that objectively reflects world laws.
Scientific knowledge is ambivalent; it has two approaches. The first is non-empirical (theoretical). This type involves the generalization of knowledge obtained empirically, the construction of scientific theories and laws.
The empirical path of knowledge suggests that a person studies the world through experience, experiment, observation.
Kant believed that there are stages of knowledge. On the first is sensory insight, on the second is reason, on the third is mind. And here, cognition of the world with the help of feelings comes first.
Sensory knowledge is a way of mastering the world, which depends on the internal organs of a person and his feelings. Sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch only bring primary knowledge about the world, its external side. The resulting image will always be specific.
There is an interesting pattern. The image obtained as a result will be objective in its content, but subjective in form.
An object will always be versatile and richer than its subjective perception, because it allows you to know an object only in a certain perspective.
There are certain forms of sensory cognition.
• Sensations: touch, hearing, smell, sight, taste. This is the first, starting form of knowledge. Gives only a partial idea of the subject. It is known through the senses, and therefore, quite one-sided and subjective. You cannot judge its taste by the color of an apple; some beautiful (visually) orchids emit a disgusting smell of long-lost meat.
• Such forms of sensory cognition as perception allow you to compose a sensual picture of an object or phenomenon. This is the first stage of cognition. Perception assumes an active character, it has certain goals and objectives. Perception allows you to accumulate material on which to build judgments.
• Representation. Without this form of sensory knowledge, it would be impossible to cognize the surrounding reality, comprehend it and save it in one’s memory. Our memory is selective. It reproduces not the whole phenomenon, but only those fragments that are most important.
Three forms of sensory cognition prepare a person for the transition to another, higher level of cognition - abstraction.