Abstract Knowledge

Abstract Thought and the Human World

Among the disciplines that study abstract knowledge are biology-related sciences. Ever since Charles Darwin’s (1809–1882) theories of natural selection emerged, scientists have tried to identify which physical elements differentiate human beings, and their thinking processes, from those of other animals. Theorists believe that as humans created increasingly complex social models, these led to more conceptually sophisticated forms of thinking and knowledge. In order to survive and thrive, for example, humans had to develop ways of understanding the world from multiple perspectives, to draw inferences about social patterns, and regulate their own thinking and emotions according to normative group standards. Understanding and incorporating societal cues and norms form the trove of abstract knowledge that allows humans to navigate the social world around them. Language and culture, for example, were born from the need to cooperate and create complex thinking models in order to grow. What differentiates humans from other animals, as some scientists propose, are forms of thinking, learning, and cognition engendered by collaborative and communicative interaction. These interactions rely on information constructed from symbols and assumptions, which require the capability of abstract thought.

In time, humans developed cognitive capacities far more powerful than was necessary for a hunting-and-gathering group to cooperate and survive. Darwin believed that the capacity and use of language might have shaped the highly complex human brain. Subsequently, however, both biology and the cognitive sciences long evaded the issue. Some behaviorists perceived abstract thinking simply as normal animal communication rather than as manifestations of intelligence and language. The brain, working mechanically, was capable of self-organizing in order to save and process new input, such as words. Words, however, are inseparably tied to the concepts they represent. As such, they are part of a cognitive process that merges thinking and words into symbolic representation and meaningful combinations, so as to form a learned language. Therefore, language is considered one of the many instances of human abstract knowledge.

Psychologists have also been interested in developing theories of abstract knowledge. Abstract thought is different from concrete thinking, which is based on real, lived experiences. Early in life, individuals come to understand their daily experiences as real and as based upon interaction with concrete objects. In time, they begin to develop abstract thinking, that is, their own ideas or concepts. It is relevant to mention the work of Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget (1896–1980), who posited that abstract thinking actually develops at around 12 years of age. At this point, humans move from concrete thinking to being able to mentally explore abstract or immaterial ideas. Before that, children are more reliant on concrete thinking. An example of concrete thinking would be the case of very young children who believe that if they cover their eyes, they cannot be seen by others, because they, themselves, cannot see. Unless they have some mental impairment, however, adolescents and adults can understand abstract concepts, such as comprehending that the phrase “a bad taste in my mouth” can refer to a feeling that something is false, deceitful, or unfair, rather than the literal feeling of having a disagreeable taste in the mouth. In other words, abstract knowledge makes it is possible to comprehend metaphors and similes as symbolic representations or approximations of ideas. Not all metaphors, however, refer to abstract ideas. The phrase “Get [Page 6]out of here!” may have a real as well as a metaphorical meaning, the latter referring to an expression of incredulity. People can understand the difference because, inevitably, abstract knowledge is often built upon concrete concepts.

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