Human beings share instinctive capacities, practical intelligence and even the possibility of including different habits in their lives with animals, however, this is the only living being whose main characteristic is to be endowed with rational intelligence, which is used daily in situations. varied.
As the years go by, the human being has the need to evolve both physically and mentally, then he begins to make or express a number of precepts that are passed from generation to generation and although at first all that information was known as data, currently it is calls it a concept.
The definition of concept comes from the Latin conceptus and this is nothing more than the basic and elemental unit of human thought, it has its genesis in a totally abstract idea under mental constructions that make us understand the experiences lived and that, later, are expressed in words. With the definition of concept we not only idealize or specify an object, situation or feeling, but also qualities, properties and identification of it are indicated.
Often referred to as the joining or linking of human thought, it can be built in different ways, and most importantly, we do it day by day.
Concepts have extensions made up of all objects that share similar characteristics to which they refer. A dog, for example, has the conceptualization of being a four-legged animal, it is part of living beings and its main characteristic is being faithful, however, not all dogs are physically the same.
There are different breeds with varied sizes and characteristics that individualize them, but in the end, the idea of what a dog is will always be the same. Here we see the generalization of the word to which we have given a meaning.
How a concept originates in the mind of a human being
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The definition of concept can be vary according to the point of view, in fact, many people form the concepts from their beliefs. They give a meaning to an object according to what they see, hear, feel or experience through their experiences. We can all create endless meanings and ideals for a single specific item or object.
It does not take a long time to reach a conclusion, it is not necessary to have a great knowledge on the subject, it only takes imagination and knowing how to combine it with the way we see the world.
When we decide to assign a meaning to something, we connect one element with another. This generates a consequence: the creation of a system that is transmitted to other individuals and, in turn, they adapt it according to their qualities, to what they perceive, desire and think. All this leads us to a conclusion: concepts are definitely born from thought, however, we need a series of aspects that allow us to shape it according to the individual's need.
Within the many faculties that the human being has, the capacity for reasoning and the total control of our senses mean that we can build a concept in a fairly simple way.
The 5 senses that human beings possess allow a more complex approach to be given to everything that surrounds them, so that broad meanings of animals, objects and even nature in general can be elaborated. Since the thought is very extensive, it is also possible to shape the ideas regarding emotions, feelings, sensations and the behaviors of the rest of the living beings.
If we start from the definition of the concept, the genesis of what really encompasses it, we realize that it has always been information that our mind receives and that is categorized to shape it, so that this can be the direct result of contact that all humans have with the world.
It should be noted that it does not matter if it is a material or immaterial world, the information ends up being just as vital for the human being. It is important to highlight the importance of language in the construction of a concept, since the context defines its logic.
It can be started under the premise of the journey as an action. If it is a long concept, time and space are included, that is, where and when we are facing a journey, how to recognize it and what to do to carry it out. Another way to easily construct a concept is to notice the exact reality of the object that you intend to conceptualize, that is, pay attention to the physics of the object, thing or element, for example, an orange.
Specifically, the reality of the orange is that it is round. What else can you notice about the orange? That it is of a certain color and shape, this is an abstract way of bringing out the qualities that the fruit possesses. Then comes the categorization of other objects that may be similar to citrus, in this case they would be other oranges.
Finally, a generalization must be made, this means that if an orange is round, of a special hue and with a specific aroma, all oranges are the same. The same is true when we try to make sense of thinking about interactions or qualities. It is not the same to create meanings about the fidelity of animals and apply them in the type of human fidelity. Sometimes you can have concepts in mind without having the right words to express them. The way we think and see the world helps us a lot to turn everything around.
Difference between a concept and a definition
Although many people think that the definition and the concept are the same, the truth is that they are totally different. Yes, both have many similarities, but their structure or creation are based on opposite criteria. We can all understand conceptualization as the representation that our mind makes to understand something, while, on the contrary, the definition is a short and clear sentence in which the meaning of a certain word is described, adding to it the general characteristics of said word. expression.
In grammar, definitions are feminine nouns, while concepts are part of masculine nouns.
Now, when it comes to definition, its characteristics are shaped by being precise, concise, brief, objective and, most importantly, the word that is being defined is not repeated in the definition, worth the redundancy.
A very clear example of this is the following phrase "A mother is every woman whose main characteristic is to carry fetuses to later be their mother." In definitions, this cannot be done, however, in concepts we see it quite naturally. Definitions have rules and the main one is that when defining the meaning of the word, it must be clarified in a simple way, that is why we find short meanings but at the same time quite revealing about the origins of a certain word.
Another rule is that these types of meanings do not include negatives because when mentioning them we only add confusing terms. Like our main topic, the definition has a broad and somewhat complex classification, this is because it seeks to typify the word that is being defined. The definition can be lexical, intentional, stipulative, ostensive and extensional.
The lexical definition focuses on a language or society, that is, it gives a specific term to a word used in natural languages (taking into account culture, territory and language. These types of definitions are found in dictionaries at a general level.
The intentional definition
It is responsible for describing the characteristics and elements that must be imperatively present in the word or object so that it can be considered as a definition and, later, develop a concept. This classification is very common and the most used not only by adults, but also by children who are recently beginning the speaking stage. In cases like these, it is necessary that each characteristic is explained correctly, so that there is no confusion and we know what the word means and which objects are included in the definition.
The stipulative definitions
They are based on explaining a different meaning to a word that already has a definition, for example, the word sapling. Although this is allusive to a stem that sprouts from a plant, it can also be used to refer to a very young child. Mothers generally make one of that word referring to newborn babies or at least 2 years of age.
The ostensive definitions
They are based on the explanation or definition of a word by means of examples, that is, they look for a reference to support the meaning of a certain element. This is because the explanation of the word can be confusing for the recipient, who can be a child or a person of a different language. A good way to explain this is when someone wants to learn about colors and we look for an object that has that hue to make the reference.
If you want to know what the green color is, we point out a plant, a fruit or a vegetable that has this hue. By doing so, the subject will know that green is grouped with nature and that just as it can have that tonality, many objects also.
Extensional definitions
These are nothing more than the generalization of a word, example, planets. If we talk about the existing planets in our solar system, it is enough to list Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Venus, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
They all have the same definition, however, each one has different characteristics, at this point you will notice the similarities between the ostensive and extensional definitions, but the main difference is that the elements in these terms cannot always be enumerated. This is when it is easier to try ostensive or intentional definitions.
Types of concepts
The direct way to express all this is through language and precisely for this reason science has endowed us with all the useful tools that, in a simple way, adjust to the exact contents we are trying to reach. There are many types of concepts and we have mentioned them throughout this post, however, it is always good to mention and fully explain everything related to it, so we will leave here the most accurate classification of the concepts.
Emotional concepts
This classification directly describes the feelings that human beings experience throughout their lives. Some people tend to pay attention to this aspect, others do not, but it is important to note that each one of them exists, that it is possible to elaborate a definition and, in turn, conceptualize them. For example, the idea of love encompasses affection, affection, empathy, attachment, and dependence.
For many this feeling is beautiful and they look for it both in themselves and in others. Others think that love is commercial, fictitious and superficial, seeing only the negative side that it has.
Moral and ethical concepts
This classification encompasses all the socially accepted behaviors that have been a fundamental part in the creation of the laws. This type of definitions and conceptualizations are key points to preserve human coexistence and regulate man in society, a clear example of this is honesty and respect, two moral and ethical values that drive us to act in good faith. When we speak of respect, we mean cordial and courteous treatment with others, consider their experiences and estimate them. Honesty refers to proper conduct in society, a faultless, sincere and fair attitude.
Formal concepts
These ideas are born from the primary sciences and explain each of the conditions that they possess. They are called formal because they are within the studies of the human being. We can give several classic examples with the youth core subjects: Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics. In the first we find a science that studies numbers, in the second we talk about chemical elements, worth the redundancy, referring directly to their interaction and reaction.
Physics is a science that studies the laws of space and gravity. All make up formulas that will serve us in our daily lives.
Scientific concepts
This is data endorsed by a community of experts who are responsible for investigating and studying the organic composition or genesis of words or phrases. It is also important to mention that in order to create these meanings, different experiments must be carried out, elaborating hypotheses, theories, debates… All that can be useful in the investigation.
These concepts are broken down into classifications, metrics, and comparatives. The first refers to a certain set of situations that have common elements, the second stipulates numbers to facts and objects. The comparatives establish differences and similarities of objects, people or things.
Technical concepts
The data that provide this type of ideas and definitions are precise, concise and direct, they evaluate the elements of a system, describe each of the technical characteristics and, in turn, verify that each and every one of the specifications of the system are met.. A clear example of this is the concept of ram memory, which reflects the internal storage of data, programs or information on a PC. This conceptualization can generate more details, for example, the performance of writes and read operations that optimize the system from this particular element.
Sociological concepts
the interpersonal relationships that each human being has experienced over the years have allowed us to take into account different sociological thoughts that make us see our rights and duties in society in a more objective way. Although at the social level we are subject to a series of ethical and moral values that regulate our conduct, they also have a fundamental impact on a nation, since they somehow influence the correct creation and application of laws. That is why values are intimately linked with laws, since the world's magnitudes have been created from them.
The relationship between concept and language
Throughout this post, it has been seen and analyzed how a concept is born , its characteristics and classification. If one is sure of something, it is that its genesis comes from thought, from the point of view that is given to it and the linguistic meaning that it encompasses. Right here it is important to mention that not only is thought necessary to elaborate a concept, but also certain factors that intrinsically influence its construction: culture, language, context and expression. There are terms that in a certain region have a unanimous meaning, but in other places they are known with other types of data.
Children, during the transition between speaking and learning, tend to gesture to communicate their needs, they see the object, point to it, and are later taught its name and functions, there we are conceptualizing what they do or want.
We can observe this relationship in the following way, at a cultural and territorial level, the same word can have different meanings according to its use within the population and the jargon. This has been accentuated and affirmed more and more in recent years due to migration processes, where many people have realized that the words that in their country had a meaning, in their place of arrival have a totally different concept. A word may be in normal use for a specific culture, but for others it may refer to an offense.
A clear example of this is happiness. Not all people have the same thought of this, because some see it as a feeling, others consider it a momentary, ephemeral, lasting, dependent or independent state of mind and all this can vary depending on the point of view of the people.
The important thing to mention in this case is that no matter the territory, language or culture, no human being can have the same thought of a feeling, since each of them feed on the experiences lived individually, behaviors learned, acquired and desired.
What do we mean by this? Let us remember that the concepts are born from a biological need to study, classify and generalize elements, objects and qualities until giving them a personal meaning that, little by little, reaches the rest of the individuals. Language focuses on the ability to express thoughts or feelings through words.
So, we can understand that the relationship between language and the concept should not be taken as a unit, but as the multiplicity of several expressions and that, in the end, they generate fuzzy definitions, words and sentences that can be adapted to different situations or circumstances.
