Conceptual Analysis as a Human Cognitive Activity - Report Example

CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS AS A HUMAN COGNITIVE ACTIVITY Introduction This paper analyses three models displayed by threephilosophers, Senge, Hall and Sowa. The terms concepts may be used to mean mental representations used by the brain to analyze its functions. On the contrary, conceptual analysis is a tool used for analyzing cognitive processes such as categorization, memory, decision making, learning, and inferences. John Sowa is among the many philosophy analysts who attempted to write about conceptual analysis as a human cognitive activity. John Sowa was an American computer scientist who invented the conceptual graphs. He put many efforts analyzing artificial intelligence linking them to natural languages. He published his book ‘conceptual structures’ in the early 1984. The book revolved around information processing in mind and machine (John, 1984). Hall was a philosophy analyst who attempted to discuss the issue of pictures as the best methods of sending information. Human life is based on beliefs and impact of beliefs on concepts brought forward by images. Sean hall elaborates further in his book ‘This Means This and This Means That’ where he expounds on semiotics. The book is geared towards opening the minds of people to the in-depth meaning carried by graphic representation (Hall, 2012). He argues that semiotics subsumes textual, graphical, and interactive communication methods. He engages in using flowcharts, drawings, and directory trees as part of his diagrammatic language. Diagrams are used to show internal meaning rather than telling what the writer means (Hall, 2012). Senge conceptualizes the learning environment by defining and demonstrating the importance of mental models. In order to create a learning environment, a person is eligible to the creation of mental models that will be effective in generating a learning atmosphere (Senge, 2006). Senge defines mental models as conceptual frameworks that are made of generalizations and assumptions that facilitate a better understanding of the world hence creating the basis for action in it. He suggests that system thinking is a cognitive human activity (Senge, 2006). In my view, mental models are psychological representations of real or imaginary situations that can happen to a person (Senge, 2006). Question 1 Conceptual analysis (Sowa) Concepts are mental representations used, by the brain, to dictate its functions in categorizing items, in the world. Concepts are responsible for allowing people to come up with appropriate inferences about the experiences they face in their everyday life (Chalmers, 1996). As demonstrated in Sowa’s work, conceptual analysis is an important tool in countering cognitive processes such as categorization, memory, decision-making, learning, and inferences. With reference to Sowa’s work, the three concepts analyzed are concepts of freedom, moral responsibility, and ability (Chalmers, 1996). Free will, moral responsibility, and ability Everybody alive tends to make use of valid reasoning. However, the reasoning projected contrasts many logicians’ works. Free-will reasoning performed by most people involves information obtained through the media. In a separate view, formal free will be concerned with valid reasoning based on information in a single form only (Jackson, 1998). For instance, Sowa relates conceptual graphs to heuristic reasoning; however, it is far from being adequately developed or demonstrated by working programs within his free will sources. It serves it right to note that Sowa, out of free will, moral responsibility, and ability, develops a calculus of type definitions and schemas using a basic reasoning operator he identifies as ‘maximal join’ (Jackson, 1998). Out of this, it is evident that multi-modal reasoning has become one big part of free will judgment. In the context of free will, a person has the mandate to choose his or her course of action. Free will is an important aspect that comes in handy with moral responsibility and human ability. In all these aspects of conceptual analysis, there are concepts ‘behind’ the words. One of the ways that Sowa use in identifying the concepts behind various words speaking boldly of what all people know, but rarely manage to say it all. He says that what can be termed as natural is dependent on the topic (Jackson, 1998). Conceptual perception involves using all means to create perception using any formula. For instance, images could arise from either sensory stimulation of the free will at mind such that a derived meaning can be perceived and understood (Jackson, 1998). In light of it, internally generated images serve the same purposes with concepts placed behind a word. Consciousness is the greatest tool in mapping concrete concepts with perceived perception. Consciousness is a tool used to unravel the hidden concepts behind a free will judgment over a situation. Moral responsibility facilitates an enhancement tool in gauging proper free will and ability (Jackson, 1998). Within all the works done by Sowa, he uses many concepts to enhance meaning and understanding of situations, and calculations. For instance, he uses conceptual graphs in essence of concept and related models specifically citing that every arc in every relation is linked to a concept in determination (Jackson, 1998). Question 2 Pictures—and a thousand words (Hall) A close observation of the human life reveals that it is based on beliefs and impact of beliefs on concepts brought forward by images. Sean hall elaborates further in his book ‘This Means This and This Mean That’ where he expounds on semiotics. The book is geared towards opening the minds of people to the in-depth meaning carried by graphic representation (McNeilly, 1996). He argues that semiotics subsumes textual, graphical, and interactive communication methods. He engages in using flowcharts, drawings, and directory trees as part of his diagrammatic language. Diagrams are used to show internal meaning rather than telling what the writer means (McNeilly, 1996). The first example he uses is images. He presents an image to the reader. He asks the reader a question for the reader to gurgle over the answers. He relatively goes ahead to discuss the answers that he thinks may suit the image to open more room for the reader to analyze and think critically (McNeilly, 1996). For example, he uses an example of a glass door with an outward extending handle marked “push”. He then poses a question beside the door asking how the door is opened i.e. ‘how is the door opened?’ (Senge et al, 1994). In an imagery representation, the door handle is made in such a way that implicates that it is supposed to be pulled and most people will resort into pulling the door while trying to open it. However, there are clear instructions that the door is supposed to be pushed. The image showing how to open the door confuses and in other instances contradicts the written instruction (Senge et al, 1994). This means that images and pictures require a specified manner of observation and critical analysis for interpretation. He suggests that the right solution to the problem is the installation of a flat plate that enables the push function. In this way, communication is purely enhanced by the handle. He uses the handle to serve the purpose and meaning in a semiotic manner (Senge et al, 1994). The second example involves two sticks with irregular notches, curves, and indentations carved into them. In his image representation, the sticks are primarily maps created by the Inuit. They are held under their mittens feeling their finger contours so that a pattern coastline is formed. Just like the door, the Inuit maps are physical representations in image form to embody their meaning. He goes a mile further to explore on how images and pictures are used in semiotic manner for advertising, media, and art (Senge et al, 1994). He says that images and pictures carry very strong and deep semiotic meaning. A picture is worth a thousand words meaning that it can generate numerous ideas and outlay them within one single diagram. They tend to carry a seemingly more real and tangible depictions of concepts that in other dimensions, seem nonrepresentational and indescribable (Senge et al, 1994). The conceptual photography lingers in bringing meaningful message to the viewers. The viewers are only left to interpretation task. Pictures can be as specific as possible and as complicated too. If one does not take good judgment in analyzing the meaning being represented, pictures and images may bring out a completely wrong message. One is supposed to look at the in-depth meaning rather than the shallow meaning (Senge et al, 1994). Question 3 Experimentalism and mental models (Senge)Senge conceptualizes the learning environment by demonstrating the importance of mental models. In order to create a learning environment, a person is eligible to the creation of mental models that will be effective in generating a learning atmosphere. Senge defines mental models as conceptual frameworks made of generalizations and assumptions. This facilitates a better understanding of the world hence creating the basis for action. He suggests that system thinking is a cognitive human activity (Senge et al, 1994). In my view, mental models are psychological representations of real or imaginary situations that can happen to a person. It involves examining the state of things in the back of our minds, forming mental diagrams of the situations, perceiving on what the diagrams represent, and concluding their importance and truth (Senge et al, 1994). Many mental models are unconscious and unspoken assumptions. It is important to surface and scrutinize them in order to see the world clearly. My first model involves what I have often heard people say. In most occasions, people will say that carbohydrates are very healthy for human consumptions. In other occasions, people saying that carbohydrates are very unhealthy for consumption. Those two statements cause a mix up of ideas. I have heard people arguing their answers demonstrating scientific evidences of their arguments. I once decided to carry out a research to establish the truth so that it could guide me on what to perceive. I just did not understand how they could be unhealthy, yet we need them to grow. After intensive research, I discovered toxicity is determined by the amount of the substances a person takes. It made me conclude that healthiness is a vague term that in most occasions depends on the context of what is on discussion. It is imperative to note that when people weigh up other people’s beliefs and models, they carry out critical assessment, but on their own, they act without thinking even twice. In another model, we were out arguing with a friend about the ownership of a certain restaurant in town. In my mind, I would hear something telling me I was right, and my friend was wrong. It is a model that many people feel but in many scenarios they do not express the model aloud. Due to that I felt, it gave me enough grounds to continue arguing and placing my facts in order to prove my point. In other instances, I felt like if I stated what I felt and believed I will sound stupid, so in such cases I did not state what I felt. Instead I acted by extending my argument, and there is not even a chance that I felt my friend felt the same way. Sometimes I would feel if I stated what I felt I would sound stupid because I knew my model was wrong. I only continue to act that way. Mental models are made up of several characteristics. The first characteristic states that mental models are inclusive of what a person thinks are the truth, and not what may be the truth. The second characteristic is that they allow a person make predictions of his or her actions (Byrne, 2005). The third characteristic states that mental models are often simple as compared to the things that they represent. They are only made up of enough information that allows accurate forecast. When documenting mental models, current images, and vocabulary, assumptions should make up a documentation forum (Byrne, 2005). The above ways will make it possible to create a target mental model that we want other people to have. There are several ways to represent mental models such as images, scripts, sets of related mental models, controlled vocabulary, and sets of assumptions (Byrne, 2005). References Barrouillet, P. et al. (2000). Conditional reasoning by mental models: chronometric and developmental evidence. Cognit. 75, 237-266. Byrne, R.M.J. (2005). The Rational Imagination: How People Create Counterfactual Alternatives to Reality. Cambridge MA: MIT Press. Chalmers, D. (1996). The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Jackson, F. (1998). From Metaphysics to Ethics: A Defense of Conceptual Analysis. Oxford: Oxford University Press. McNeilly M. R. (1996). Sun Tzu and the Art of Business: Six Strategic Principles for Managers Oxford, Oxford University Press. Senge, P. M., Kleiner, A., Roberts C., Ross, R., and Smith, B. (Eds.). (1994). 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