L.
BALASHOVаааааааааа
ABSTRACTS
УCATEGORYа PICTUREа OF WORLD (CATEGORY LOGIC OF THINKING)Ф
Whether philosophers want to discuss a problem of the
systematisation of categories or not, it declairs
itself as an objective necessity of thinking consciously-systemically,а fully armed with
category machinary of thinking.
Unconsciously people have been thinking systemically
for a long time.а For this purpose they
developed a wholeа complexа of questions:а
what?а who?
whose? when? where? where from? how? which? in
what measure? how many? why? what for? how is it possible? etc. Category forms of thinking are clearly seen in these
questions. (By the way philosophers are a kind of midwives assisting birth,
i.e. making people aware of philosophical categories and concepts, in the form
of categories of thinking).
Categories function,а work,а
act in our thinking Ч whether we want it or not Ч moreoverа theyа
form,а organise,а regulateа
our thinking.а Thereа isа
a definite structure and order in the very nature of thinking. People
think as soon as they use categories.
2. From spontaneous using of
a system of categoriesаа
ааааааа to its discovering
and conscious mastering.ааааа
аа
If we unconsciously use the spontaneously formed
system of the categories of thinking, the question arises, as to why it is
necessary to discover it again,а whyа
shouldа weа constructа
the adequate system of philosophical categories?а The thing is that the real "repay"
of categories of thinking Ч as idealа meansа
of cognitionа andа transformationа of the world is only possible if they are percieved as a system.а
Spontaneous,а
half-realised use of those categories is fraught with
constantа "lurches", absolutisation of some categories to theа detriment of others.
The comprehension of category logic procededа irregularlyа duringа
the historical development of philosophy. That is particularly the
reason of discordance in philosophical teachings. Category culture of thinking
is just the conscious, that is, sufficiently full and balanced notion of the
system of category of thinking, and trough it of theа objective system of the world forms of
existence.
3. Categories arrangement.
A question of category arrangement, the relations
between the categories arises inevitably in connection with the way a problem
of category system is put. At present it is determined that categories are
arranged in pairs (as diads) or triads. But
correlation of categories alone (in a case of diads)
or their synthesis (in a case of triads)а isа
not sufficient to construct a category system. Such system is impossible
without a subordination, hierarchical conformity of
elements. That's why the construction of category system must be based on the principle
of hierarchical building.а Eachа category isn't
only a system "cell", but is itself a system of more particular categories
and concepts. A category is a category because it forms a concept system,
that's why it is called a category, i.e. a rank, a class of definite type of
concepts. Each philosophical category is a top of gigantic pyramid of concepts.
And a category system as a whole is a top of a pyramid of all human concepts.
4.
Main points of proposed category system.
We think that the basic categories of a system are matter and motion. They are connected by two categories Ч contradiction and formation
(ёЄрэютыхэшх)
whichа areа relatedа
toа each other Ч in a sense Ч as abstract
and concrete unity of matter and motion.а
Each of these four categories is devided into
a whole "bush" of more particular categories.а The latter expresses their separate sides and
types hierarchically.
Quality and quantity,
united by measure, are sides of
matter. Body,а mesomatter,а group of bodies (and organism-community) are types of matter. Time
and space are sides of motion. "Motion in time"а (chan-ge-conservation; development)
and "motion in space"
(locomotion-rest; behaviour) are types of motion. Opposition, difference, likeness,аа identity
are sides and moments of dialectical contradiction. Simple (inner and outer) contradictions, complex contradictions are typesаа of contradictions. Harmonious and
antagonistic contradictions are examples of complex contradictions.
Formation is a totality which unites possibility and reality, theirа
transitionsа in each other
(revolution and evolution) and their mutual mediation1
(activity).а Possibility isа aа
totality whichа unites chance-probability-necessity and
freedom. Reality unites phenomenon-statistical regularity-law
and essence. Hew and oldа areа
typesа ofа reality.а
We define category of activity in terms of possibility and reality,а innerа andа
outer,а asа their mutual mediation.а Goalа andа resultа areа
possibleа andа real componentsа ofа
activity.а Theseа componentsа areа
mediatedаа by category of means.
These are the principal points of the category system
proposed.
5. CORRESPONDENCES OF CATEGORIES.
In research of categories some correspondences of
pairs and category families are exposed. These correspondences are such as
though the same parent categories "aimed" at repeating themselves in
other appearances in every category family. Let's give a fragment of the
correspondence table. To identity the categories we used the terms "iden-
|
IDENTITY |
OPPOSITION
/DIFFERENCE/ |
|
matter universal /general/аааааааааааааааааааааааааааааааааааааа infinity whole system space conservation rest quality symmetry reversibility /"a circle of time"/ inner contradiction /link/ (unity) (harmony) reality order necessity law similarity equality absolute |
motion specificа /particular/ finiteness /particular/ not whole /parts/ elements time change locomotion quantity asymmetry irreversibility /"an arrow of time"/ outer contradiction /collision/ (struggle) (antagonism) possibility disorder chance phenomenon dissimilarity inequality аааа relative |
tity" and "opposition". These are the most
abstract categories which play the role of money in category economy (they may
be considered the parent categories mentioned above). Here are some examples to
the content of the table. Take the categories of "change" and
"conservation". How do they correspond to the categories-identificators (opposition and identity)? It's easy to
demonstrate. Change is a transition from one condition to another, in other
words it is the emergence of the difference of conditions. In its extreme
manifestation change is not just a transition from one condition to another,
but a transition to the opposite condition. And what is conservation?а This is staying in one and the same
condition. In this case there is anа identity of condition (or conditions,
which is the same). We can find the same correspondence between locomotion and
rest on the one hand, and categories-identificators
on the other one. How let's take the concepts of "chance" and
"necessity". Chance is such a condition of possibility, which may be
realised in one way or another. Thus chance is opposition realised in
possibility or in other words it is opposition of possibilities. As for necessity,
it is such a condition of possibility which causes only one definite result. It
is a realised identity of possibilities.
It is interesting to compare the conceptsа ofа
necessity-chance to symmetry-asymmetry.а
Symmetryа actsа areа
directedа toа the limitation of the possible variants of
structures,а variantsа of behaviour.а
Necessity acts in the same direction. On the other hand asymmetry acts
to inerease the number of possible variants.а Chanceа actsа
inа the same direction.а Chances create new possibilities,а generate new alternatives.
One may have an analogous reasoning about the concepts
of "phenomenon" and "law".а
Lawа isа theа
identicalа inа phenomena. And, respectively, phenomenaа are the
different and the opposite in reality.а
For example, the most general laws in physicsа are conservation laws corresponding to
the fundamental principles of symmetry. Law-general-conservation-symmetry is quiteа aа natural chain.
We would like to note the correlation between the idea
of general and the idea of whole. This correlation is seen in the following
wage philosophers who advocate the primacy of whole over particular, special,
specific, assert as a rule the idea of primacy of whole over not whole
(particularly, over parts). It may be put more gently: philosophers accepting
the reality of general, accept the reality of whole
which can't be reduced to a sum of parts. Hegel, for example, adhered to this
opinion. Contrary, philosophers who deny the reality of
general (nominalistic tradition), deny fact, the reality
of whole, reducing it to a sum of parts, qualities. Hobbesа wrote, for example, "whole and
the aggregate ofа allа itsа
parts are identical" (Hobbes T. De corpore,
VII).
There are some correspondences not only between pairs
of opposite categories, mentioned in the table, but also between intermediate
categories,а and the categories,а bringing above an organic synthesis, mutual mediation
of opposite categories. The latter are such categories as organism,
development, behaviour, complex contradiction, freedom, essence, activity.
We canа likenа
theа correspondences of categories
to periodic dependencies of chemical elementsа
byа D.I. Mendeleev.а Theyа give interesting perspectives to philosophical
cognition.
6. METODOLOGICALа FUNCTIONа OFа
CATEGORYа LOGIC.
We consider category logic, system of categories as a
system of coordinats or orientators
of thinking, which makes it possible to find one's location and direction of
movement like we do it using the coordinate graticule
of meridians and parallels on the globe. They help to evaluate any facts and
opinions, to separate grains of truth from chaff of false notions.
Methodological function of category logic is realised
in the general orientator of cognitive andа practicalа activityа
as wellа as in a sum of methods
resulting from the meaning value of separate categories.
See:
Balashov L.E. Category structure
of Thinking and Scientific Cognition. (╩рЄхуюЁшры№э√щ ёЄЁющ ь√°ыхэш ш эрєўэюх
яючэрэшх). Ч ABSTRACTS. 8 International congress
of logic, methodology and philosophy of science. V. 4. P.