Thinking action as a performative and participative mental awareness

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Science
• Phenomenology
• Philosophy of Mind

Background:

• Understanding the experiential nature of thinking is crucial for cognitive science.
• Existing research often focuses on memory or dispositional knowledge, overlooking the active process of thinking.
• Phenomenological methods offer a unique lens to explore subjective experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the experiential aspects of thinking actions.
• To differentiate between types of thinking and their outcomes.
• To introduce and define a novel mode of thinking: pure thinking action.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing first-person phenomenological methods.
• Employing a simple mathematical proof as a case study.
• Conducting phenomenological contrasts between different thinking types.

Main Results:

• Thinking actions yield performative insights, distinct from dispositional or remembered knowledge.
• A new mode of thinking, 'pure thinking action,' is identified.
• Pure thinking action is characterized by participation, receptiveness, persistence, and coherence.

Conclusions:

• Thinking is an active, performative process generating immediate insights.
• Pure thinking action represents a distinct cognitive mode, fundamental to everyday thought.
• This research reframes our understanding of the active nature of cognition.