Understanding as a component of cognitive activity and cultural communication

Trofimova Galina Petrovna, Terekhina Maiia Ivanovna

This article deals with the problem of understanding in scientific research and cultural dialogue. It is noted that the main factors that initiated the analysis of the problem were the facts of «incommensurability» of theoretical concepts in natural Sciences and Humanities. The problem of incommensurability in humanitarian knowledge also exists and is particularly relevant in connection with the expansion of the field of dialogue between cultures. Culture, as is known, is a special type of information process, a superbiological form of accumulation, storage and transmission of information. Cultural values, norms and patterns can become objectified only with the help of non-genetic sign systems, cultural texts. Language elements taken by themselves, without relation to the person and culture, have no sense. To understand the peculiarities of language aspects, it is necessary to study the culture in the field of which the language was formed. Language sign systems act as carriers of meanings. The authors come to the conclusion that understanding is the result of conceptual and linguistic communication, which needs logical understanding and rational control.

Keywords:understanding, meaning, meaning of language, idea of incommensurability, language communication.