Cognitive Turn: Shifting the Foundations of Intellectual Culture

From F. Nietzsche to modern post- and meta-modernism, there is a continuous criticism of science, cognition, and rationally oriented intellectual culture. By the beginning of the XXI century, a paradoxical situation emerged, when, on the one hand, science claims to increase the efficiency of activity in any field that scientists start to engage in. However, on the other hand, what is happening with the growth of efficiency of scientific activity itself? Is it possible to consider scientifically organized research, which scientists are engaged in, and the way they do it? In the development of athletics and personality, the athlete learns to use the whole organism, and the scientist – a part of the psyche. It is appropriate to assert that the factors of lifestyle, mode of life, training of mind in intellectual games, etc. are the condition of meaningful support of mental activity. Having established the ideal of science, cognition of “objective reality” as existence independent of man and his consciousness, it turned out that the quality of knowledge should be paid for by protection from the scientist’s influence on natural and social objects. As a result, there is an increasing distancing of man from the Universe and from himself. If the situation is not radically changed, society has no strategic future. If intellectuals recognize the fact of the gaining strength of the “cognitive turn” it allows us to turn to actions to “change the foundations of intellectual culture”. A transition from mono-centric to poly-centric attitudes is required, as an end to disputes about the preference of a certain primordial being, to the understanding that reality is a product of the combination of physical, mental, and cognitive. It is necessary to rehabilitate the presence of the subjective factor in cognition. Cognition does not only reflect, but complements reality. In intellectual activity one should find a balance between its objective and subjective aspects. To make a functional distinction between concepts – carrying content and meaning, and categories – responsible for the routing of reasoning. To substantiate the expediency of separating Small and Large logical forms with their purpose to be used in the design of research. Widely using in preparation and realization of scientific researches the apparatuses of categorical-system methodology (CSM) and the theory of dynamic information systems (TDIS), to connect the works in the listed directions with the development of new technologies of natural intelligence. An original example of research design is given.