In the name of God, I am at your service to present the fourth article, and I present this article under the title "State of the Name, State of Cognition". Before addressing the text, a few words require an initial explanation. The word "Name" (Ism) which is used in the title of the article, its root goes back to three letters: Waw, Seen, and Meem; "Wasama" means he marked or branded, and "Wasm" means a mark, sign, or brand. Two other words also appear in the text: "Inzimam" (concretion/conjoining) meaning to join together and create cohesion, and "Inteza'" (abstraction) meaning to separate and create disconnection.

Text of the Article

State of the Name, State of Cognition: The human mind has two types of activities: concrete and abstract. In concrete activity, the constraints of time and space are present, while in abstract activity, there is a lack of dependence on these conditions. In the most basic form of concrete activity, the sense of sight allows for the objective observation of an object in Shaped Space, and through the repetition of this experience, the mind gains superficial identification (recognition) of that object. The senses of hearing, smell, and touch also assist the mind in acquiring the secondary attributes of the object.

In the most complex form of concrete activity, the mind engaged with the Shaped Space of the object experiences emotional receptions such as sadness, joy, wonder, beauty, etc. With the repetition of this experience, identification (recognition) of the object goes beyond the constraints of time and space, leading the mind to self-awareness. This mental activity, which has gone beyond the constraints of time and space, is called abstract activity. For example, suppose you are looking at a rose and perceive its appearance, feeling a sense of discovery and expression of beauty within yourself. You repeat this experience with a carnation, jasmine, etc., and continue to feel the discovery and expression of beauty. This mental experience is still concrete.

Now the mind begins to compare the results. It sets aside the superficial attributes of the flowers and seeks the common attribute that resonates with itself. The mind abstracts beauty as a general concept and tells itself, "I have discovered beauty within myself." This state is the state of mind's name or the state of cognition.

Explanation of the Article

The article speaks about the levels or types of human mental activity and divides it into two types: concrete activities (conjoined) and abstract activities. The constraint of conjoining (concretion) means dependence on time and space; if we set this constraint aside, we call the activity abstract.

The most common experience that each of us has of a concrete activity is the act of seeing. You see an object, and when you want to recount what you have seen to others, the length, width, and height, and even the place where the object is located, are part of the information you use to identify and give directions to that object. You may also consider the rest of the senses, such as hearing, smell, and touch, which we called secondary attributes of the object. All of these are part of concrete activities. For example, when you hear a sound, you turn in a certain direction; meaning you pay attention to a location. Thus, here the constraint of space exists. In the case of time, it is the same. When you speak about a topic and your own experience, sometimes you also refer to the time when that experience occurred.

Another example of concrete activity that is slightly more complex: when you look at an object, this time you set aside the superficial description. A feeling, a subject, arises in your mind and you discover a concept within yourself; for instance, you become sad, happy, or astonished. This also, in initial experiences, is still a concrete activity. Why? Because I have merely seen a scene and discovered a feeling within myself; meaning a raw and primary feeling. If this experience is repeated, gradually you see that the mind departs from concrete activity. For example, you have a few people in front of you, and instead of keeping the superficial characteristics of each one in your mind, gradually your mental activity goes in a direction where you propose a common attribute among them; you say all of these individuals, regardless of their superficial appearance, are "human". Here, your mental activity goes beyond the constraints of time and space.

If we want to explain further, those subjects that have emerged in your mind cannot be pointed to on the outside. When you say "I became sad," if someone asks you to show them sadness, you cannot point to an object on the outside and say: "Sadness is this." So sadness is an abstract concept; separated from pointing to an object and independent of space and time. Or, for example, "humanity" is a perception you have acquired regarding humans; if they ask you to show humanity, you cannot point to an object or a scene.

Let us review the example of the flower again. You look at a rose, you are immersed in watching it, and you take into account its superficial attributes, color, smell, height, and stature; this first step is mostly paying attention to appearances. In the next step, you enter a state, you experience a subject; for example, you feel happy or elated, or you want to praise and commend it; as if you want to point to beauty.

If we repeat this same experience with a carnation, jasmine, and other flowers, despite the differences in color, size, and shape, in the end your mind, by comparing all the results, sets aside the points of difference and offers you a common attribute, which is beauty. This is where we say the mind has abstracted beauty as a general concept.

Now the mind tells itself: I have discovered beauty within myself; in another place it says I have discovered sadness, joy, elation, wonder, and satisfaction. Thus, various subjects are created in the mind. Where has the mind brought these subjects from? According to our previous discussions, we say these subjects are revelatory; meaning it is the factor of revelation that has caused these subjects to be created in my mind, and I am in the process of identifying them. We called this state the "state of cognition".

Summary

Humans have two types of mental activity: concrete activity and abstract activity. In terms of importance, abstract activity holds a higher status; although in terms of the beginning, our mind's cognition is of the concrete type; meaning the reality we analyze in our mind is bound by time and space. But the human mind has the capability to conceptualize; concepts that are not bound to a specific time and space. If we say a concept named "humanity" exists, this concept is not dependent on a specific time and space, but rather it is an attribute we consider for humans. Active minds can abstract higher concepts from the concepts they have acquired and proceed to generate new concepts. The difference between an artistic or virtuous human and an ordinary human lies in the degree of generation of thoughts and their capability to present higher abstract concepts and achieve a deeper understanding of the mind.