Contemporary problems of reflection theory
Интеллект. Инновации. Инвестиции July 4, 2025 E. N. Gnatik, V. M. Naidysh
The article examines the theory of reflection, tracing its historical paradigms and current problems. It argues for a shift from a subject-centric to a system-centric understanding, where reflection is a complex process shaped by the structure and history of the reflecting system. In biological evolution, reflection developed to enhance the subject's control and ability to separate objective from subjective moments. This led to two subsystems: the image of the external environment (cognitive reality, based on external experience and memory) and the image of internal states (semantic reality, based on internal experience and sensory-emotional states tied to needs). Consciousness emerges as an integral quality of brain activity. The article contends that dead ends in cognitive psychology stem from ignoring the relationship between cognitive and semantic functionals in consciousness.