Conceptual impressions surrounding this post have yet to be substantiated, corroborated, confirmed or woven into a larger argument, context or network. Objective: To generate symbolic links between scientific discovery, design awareness and consciousness.
Five Levels of Human Intelligence
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The Divine Connection between the human form and the universe.
The circle and the square represent the unity between heaven and earth.
The question of whether aspects of the intellect—such as opinion, facts, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom—are embodiments of the mind or consciousness is a deep metaphysical inquiry that delves into the nature of the mind, the relationship between the mind and consciousness, and how these elements interact with each other. To address this question, it is important to explore the metaphysical views on the mind, the nature of consciousness, and how cognition and awareness shape these intellectual aspects.
Mind vs. Consciousness: A Metaphysical Distinction
The metaphysical distinction between mind and consciousness is foundational to this inquiry. Traditionally, the mind has been seen as the seat of thought, cognition, and reasoning, whereas consciousness refers to awareness, the subjective experience of being, and the state of being aware of one’s thoughts and perceptions.
• Mind is often described as a set of cognitive faculties that includes reasoning, perception, memory, and imagination. It is associated with the processing of information and the capacity to engage in mental functions such as belief formation, problem-solving, and the categorization of knowledge.
• Consciousness, on the other hand, is frequently understood as the state of being aware of one’s thoughts, experiences, and surroundings. Philosophers such as Thomas Metzinger (2003) and David Chalmers (1996) have focused on consciousness as an "experiential" or "phenomenal" state, concerned with how it feels to be an experiencing subject.
In this framework, the aspects of the intellect—opinion, facts, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom—can be analyzed through the lens of how they relate to the mind’s cognitive functions versus the conscious awareness of those functions.
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1. Opinion
Opinion can be seen as a product of mental processing that occurs within the mind but is typically not tied to certain knowledge. In epistemological terms, an opinion is often seen as a belief or judgment that is not backed by sufficient evidence. It resides in the realm of the mind because it is a cognitive state that involves reasoning or judgment, but it does not necessarily involve direct conscious awareness of its validity. For example, people may hold opinions without reflecting deeply on their rational foundations.
• Metaphysical Implication: From a metaphysical standpoint, opinion exists as a mental construct—a manifestation of a mind's attempt to make sense of the world, but one that is not necessarily grounded in higher or deeper forms of consciousness or objective reality.
2. Facts
Facts, in a more rigid sense, are objective states of affairs that exist independently of subjective awareness. In contrast to opinions, facts are typically considered truths that are verifiable and objective. However, facts require consciousness to be recognized or known by an agent. This points to an essential interdependence between fact and consciousness: facts exist, but they must be perceived by a conscious subject to be recognized as facts.
• Metaphysical Implication: Facts may be considered independent of subjective experience, but they do require consciousness for recognition, suggesting that consciousness plays a crucial role in the epistemic relationship between the external world and the mind.
3. Knowledge
Knowledge in philosophical terms is often described as "justified true belief" (Plato, Theaetetus). Knowledge involves the assimilation of facts into a coherent understanding that is not just passive observation but an active, conscious engagement with the world. Knowledge is a higher cognitive state compared to opinion, as it requires justification, reflection, and truth.
• Metaphysical Implication: Knowledge can be seen as an embodiment of both the mind and consciousness. It is something that the mind constructs through processing sensory data and intellectual reflection, but it also requires consciousness to be apprehended and understood by a subject. Knowledge thus requires awareness, and without consciousness, knowledge cannot be realized in the way we experience it.
4. Understanding
Understanding represents a deeper level of cognition than knowledge. Whereas knowledge might be seen as an accumulation of facts and data, understanding involves the integration and comprehension of those facts in a way that gives coherence and meaning to one's cognitive structures. Understanding is often regarded as a more integrated and conscious form of engagement with reality.
• Metaphysical Implication: Understanding is an intellectual state that exists at the intersection of mind and consciousness, where the mind synthesizes information and forms meaningful connections, while consciousness provides the awareness of these connections. Thus, understanding can be seen as an embodiment of both.
5. Wisdom
Wisdom is a concept that transcends mere knowledge and understanding. It involves the application of knowledge and understanding in a way that is morally or existentially meaningful. Wisdom is typically tied to deep reflection, practical judgment, and an awareness of the complexities of human life. It integrates not only intellectual faculties but also emotional and existential insight, implying a sophisticated form of consciousness.
• Metaphysical Implication: Wisdom is perhaps the most deeply tied to consciousness, as it involves self-awareness, reflection on one's experiences, and the ethical application of knowledge. It is not simply an intellectual achievement but a harmonious synthesis of intellectual and experiential consciousness.
Conclusion
The aspects of the intellect—opinion, facts, knowledge, understanding, and wisdom—are not mere embodiments of the mind in a purely cognitive sense. Instead, they are interwoven with consciousness, as consciousness provides the awareness necessary for the mind to process, reflect upon, and give meaning to these intellectual states. In metaphysical terms, the mind can be seen as the vehicle through which these aspects of intellect are expressed and processed, while consciousness is the medium through which they are experienced and understood.
In summary:
• Opinion is a product of the mind’s reasoning but does not require deep consciousness.
• Facts exist independently but must be consciously recognized.
• Knowledge arises through conscious engagement with the world, requiring both mind and awareness.
• Understanding represents a deeper integration that involves conscious reflection.
• Wisdom is the synthesis of knowledge and consciousness, involving ethical and reflective awareness.
References
- Chalmers, D. J. (1996). The conscious mind: In search of a fundamental theory. Oxford University Press.
- Metzinger, T. (2003). Being no one: The self-model theory of subjectivity. MIT Press.
Plato. (1997).
- Theaetetus (M. J. Levett, Trans.). Penguin Classics. (Original work published c. 369 BCE)
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“When such an arrangement of resonant energy is perceived/observed/interpreted as a form of intelligence, even more expansive "forms of symbolic continuity" can be arranged by simply expanding within the same environmental constraints, i.e. contexts, that recognize and distinguish this particular relationship from others.
The act of perceiving is not a passive reception of external reality but an active engagement with the symbolic language of the universe, where signs and symbols communicate the nature of reality through patterns of energy that resonate at specific frequencies. The interpretation of these patterns, in turn, produces a cascade of cognitive responses. These responses, based on the symbolic interactions between the observer and the observed, lead to the generation of meaning and the construction of knowledge.
These energy patterns, which emerge from the resonance between different fields, embody a new reality, one that exists at the intersection of perception, cognition, and metaphysical potential.”
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Further Insights
1. Opinion
Metaphysical essence: Unanchored mental content.
• Definition: A subjective mental position formed without a necessary grounding in objective reality or rigorous justification.
• Function in intelligence: Represents the most fluid and least constrained form of cognition—personal, contingent, and revisable.
• Ontological status: Exists purely in the subject’s mind, not requiring external correspondence.
Opinion = Cognitive impression without ontological obligation.
2. Fact
Metaphysical essence: Being-as-it-is.
• Definition: A state of reality that exists independent of perception, belief, or interpretation.
• Function in intelligence: Provides the objective substrate upon which higher cognition can attach.
• Ontological status: Facts are mind-independent features of reality; humans (or agents) can be mistaken about them.
Fact = Reality’s condition, regardless of cognition.
3. Knowledge
Metaphysical essence: True belief anchored to reality.
In classical epistemology (and many metaphysical systems):
• Definition: A justified mental representation that corresponds to fact.
• Function in intelligence: Converts raw awareness into stable, reliable cognitive structure.
• Ontological status: Exists at the interface of mind and reality, requiring both subjective assent and objective truth.
Knowledge = Fact + correct internal apprehension.
(Traditionally, “justified true belief,” though modern epistemology adds nuance.)
4. Understanding
Metaphysical essence: Insight into relationships and structure.
• Definition: The capacity to perceive patterns, causes, meanings, and connections that unify knowledge into a coherent whole.
• Function in intelligence: Transforms isolated pieces of knowledge into conceptual integration (systems, models, explanations).
• Ontological status: Exists within the mind but maps deeper onto the structure of reality, not just its surface facts.
Understanding = Knowledge + internalized structure + explanatory coherence.
It is qualitative, not merely accumulative.
5. Wisdom
Metaphysical essence: Alignment of understanding with right action.
• Definition: The ability to use understanding in a way that produces sound judgment, right conduct, and harmony with larger principles (ethical, existential, or cosmic).
• Function in intelligence: Transcends cognition to guide skillful living; integrates intellect with value and consequence.
• Ontological status: Emerges where being and knowing meet; wisdom is partly epistemic and partly moral-metaphysical.
Wisdom = Understanding + proper application (ethically, pragmatically, and existentially).
The Hierarchical Metaphysical Structure
FACT → knowledge → understanding → wisdom
↑
opinion (may become knowledge if corrected and justified)
Each level requires but transcends the previous:
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• Opinion has no necessary relation to truth. Belief without necessity of truth.
• Facts exist independently of any mind. Truth independent of belief
• Knowledge is fact recognized. True belief aligned with fact.
• Understanding is fact comprehended. Comprehension of relations, causes, and meanings.
• Wisdom is understanding embodied. Correct, harmonious application of understanding
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In metaphysics, embodiment refers to the idea that consciousness, meaning, and agency are fundamentally grounded in the lived experience of having a body, rather than existing as abstract, purely mental properties. Instead of viewing the mind as a detached substance (as in Cartesian dualism), embodiment claims that the body is essential to how we perceive, understand, and interact with the world (Merleau-Ponty, 1945/2012).
From this perspective, the body is not merely a physical container for the mind—it constitutes part of cognition itself, conditioning how we experience space, time, and meaning.
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How Embodiment Emerges in Reference to the Mind
In philosophy of mind and cognitive science, embodiment emerges as a response to classical computational or representational models of the mind. It argues that:
1. Cognition depends on sensorimotor capabilities.
We think through bodily capacities like movement, sensation, and perception (Varela, Thompson, & Rosch, 1991).
2. The environment and body jointly shape mental processes.
Mental activity is dynamically coupled with the world; the mind is not isolated “in the head” (Clark, 1997).
3. Meaning is enacted rather than pre-given.
We make sense of the world through bodily interactions—grasping, walking, orienting, manipulating objects (Gallagher, 2005).
Thus, embodiment suggests that the mind emerges out of lived, bodily experience, not apart from it. Thought is grounded in action, perception, emotion, and physical presence.
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How Humans Apply Embodiment in Creating and Designing
Embodiment has become central in fields such as design, architecture, HCI (human–computer interaction), and AI. Its applications include:
1. Human-centered and experiential design
Designers incorporate bodily experience into products and spaces, recognizing that users understand and navigate the world through movement, posture, and sensory cues.
Examples include ergonomic objects, intuitive interfaces, and immersive environments (Norman, 2013).
2. Embodied interaction in technology
Digital systems increasingly rely on gesture, touch, and spatial engagement—e.g., VR, AR, wearable devices, motion sensors.
This follows Dourish's (2001) argument that interaction should reflect how humans physically inhabit the world.
3. Architecture that shapes experience
Architects use embodied principles—light, scale, materiality, spatial rhythm—to influence how people feel and act in a space.
Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology deeply influenced phenomenological architecture (Pallasmaa, 2012).
4. Creative arts and expressive design
Artists and designers leverage the body as a tool of meaning-making: choreography, performance, sculpture, and interactive installations all reflect how embodiment generates perception and interpretation.
5. AI and robotics
Embodied AI asserts that intelligence requires a physical form or simulated sensorimotor system, not just symbolic computation (Brooks, 1991).
Across all these domains, embodiment provides a framework for designing with attention to the whole human being—sensory, emotional, perceptual, and motor—not just cognitive functions.
APA References
- Brooks, R. A. (1991). Intelligence without representation. Artificial Intelligence, 47(1–3), 139–159.
- Clark, A. (1997). Being there: Putting brain, body, and world together again. MIT Press.
- Dourish, P. (2001). Where the action is: The foundations of embodied interaction. MIT Press.
- Gallagher, S. (2005). How the body shapes the mind. Oxford University Press.
- Merleau-Ponty, M. (2012). Phenomenology of perception (D. A. Landes, Trans.). Routledge. (Original work published 1945)
- Norman, D. (2013). The design of everyday things (Rev. ed.). Basic Books.
- Pallasmaa, J. (2012). The eyes of the skin: Architecture and the senses (3rd ed.). Wiley.
- Varela, F. J., Thompson, E., & Rosch, E. (1991). The embodied mind: Cognitive science and human experience. MIT Press.
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physical events and experiences
opinion, knowledge, understanding, wisdom
facts, knowledge
opinion, knowledge, understanding, wisdom
imagination, compassion, feeling, meaning, emotion, purpose, intuition, passion, love
physical events and experiences
Design expresses a natural discernment that acts purposefully and meaningfully in reference to facts, knowledge and understanding. Design along with consciousness, symbolically embodies both the tangible and intangible in a quest to maintain balance and harmony throughout the entire design process. Any intention of attaining wisdom is to be his or her own.
The author generated some of this text in part with GPT-3, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model. Upon generating draft language, the author reviewed, edited, and revised the language to their own liking and takes ultimate responsibility for the content of this publication.
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The author generated some of this text in part with GPT-3, OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model. Upon generating draft language, the author reviewed, edited, and revised the language to their own liking and takes ultimate responsibility for the content of this publication.
"Design reveals the soul through creation."
Edited:
Find your truth. Know your mind. Follow your heart. Love eternal will not be denied. Discernment is an integral part of self-mastery. You may share this post on a non-commercial basis, the author and URL to be included. Please note … posts are continually being edited. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2025 C.G. Garant.
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