Thinking. What Philosophers Think About It

René Descartes once said: «I think, therefore I am». But what is «thinking»? And what does it mean to «think»? These questions have occupied the minds of great philosophers since ancient times. How did they understand the phenomenon of thinking? Socrates believed that it is the subjectivity of a person, manifested in practical activities, Aristotle saw it as the rational part of the soul, striving to understand the essence of things. Kant first explored such manifestations of human nature as reason and feelings, Hegel suggested that thinking is inherent both to man and to being itself. Freud already associated it with unconscious activity, while American philosophers perceived it as a form of knowledge. This book will help the reader trace changes in views on the concept of «thinking» and form their own opinion on this amazing phenomenon. The publication includes excerpts from the works of famous ancient and Western European philosophers.