Spontaneous-unconscious forms of thought processes: philosophical and psychological aspects of research

Abstract

The subject of this study is those aspects of human mental activity that are determined by its inclusion in non-articulated and non-reflexive spheres of mental activity. The purpose of this article is to analyze the psychological and philosophical aspects of studying specific aspects of the formation and functioning of thinking as the highest cognitive ability of a person, namely in that part of this ability that manifests itself in a spontaneously unconscious form. One of the tasks that require resolution and arise in such a context is to raise the question of whether these forms of manifestation of thinking are considered only a consequence of the influence of external factors, or whether it is a necessary element of the process of their formation and functioning. Another task, due to the specifics of the chosen research subject, was the question of choosing a methodological context and prospects for further research.  The methodological approaches and methods used in the course of the research involve both the theoretical developments of classical philosophy and psychology, as well as the results of modern philosophical and psychological research, which allows us to apply the so-called method of "systematic eclecticism", which partly allows us to actualize an integrated approach to such a complex field of research as the phenomenon of human consciousness.   The relevance of the research is determined by the fact that despite the continuing interest in the problems of the functioning of human thinking, its origin remains insufficiently investigated in terms of its relationship with the unconscious processes of the human psyche. One of the reasons for this situation is the relative differentiation and fragmentation in methodological campaigns. As one of the main conclusions in the attempted study of the mental processes indicated by the chosen topic is the position of the inextricable connection, interdependence of conscious and unconscious acts of the psyche, and the spontaneous-unconscious form of manifestation of thinking is naturally inherent in it. As a particular conclusion based on the results of the conducted research, it is proposed to update the already existing results achieved in cognitive sciences as an interdisciplinary field of research on problems of consciousness and thinking.