In Platonism, dianoia (Greek: διάνοια) is the human cognitive capacity for, process of, or result of discursive reasoning, specifically about mathematical and technical subjects. It stands in contrast to the immediate, cognitive process of intuitive apprehension or noesis (noesis).1314
As a branch of intelligence, intellect primarily concerns the logical and rational functions of the human mind, emphasizing factual knowledge and analytical reasoning.15 Additional to the functions of linear logic and the patterns of formal logic the intellect also processes the non-linear functions of fuzzy logic and dialectical logic.16
Intellect and intelligence are contrasted by etymology; derived from the Latin present active participle intelligere, the term intelligence denotes "to gather in between", whereas the term intellect, derived from the past participle of intelligere, denotes "what has been gathered". Therefore, intelligence relates to the creation of new categories of understanding, based upon similarities and differences, while intellect relates to understanding existing categories.17
A person's intellectual understanding of reality derives from a conceptual model of reality based upon the perception and the cognition of the material world of reality. The conceptual model of mind is composed of the mental and emotional processes by which a person seeks, finds, and applies logical solutions to the problems of life. The full potential of the intellect is achieved when a person acquires a factually accurate understanding of the real world, which is mirrored in the mind. The mature intellect is identified by the person's possessing the capability of emotional self-management, wherein they can encounter, face, and resolve problems of life without being overwhelmed by emotion.18
Real-world experience is necessary to and for the development of a person's intellect, because, in resolving the problems of life, a person can intellectually comprehend a social circumstance (a time and a place) and so adjust their social behavior in order to act appropriately in the society of other people. Intellect develops when a person seeks an emotionally satisfactory solution to a problem; mental development occurs from the person's search for satisfactory solutions to the problems of life. Only experience of the real world can provide understanding of reality, which contributes to the person's intellectual development.19
Carl Gustav Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist and founder of analytical psychology, offered a nuanced view of intellect and intuition within the human psyche. He acknowledged the importance of intellectual faculties for logical reasoning and understanding but cautioned against overreliance on intellect at the expense of other vital aspects of the psyche, such as intuition and emotion.20
In Psychological Types (1923), Jung explored different modes of consciousness, including the role of intellect. He identified thinking as one of the primary psychological functions, which, when extraverted, is oriented by objective data and often recognized as the dominant mode in scientific and philosophical endeavors. He stated:21
In this sense it might be said that the extraverted intellect, i.e. the mind that is orientated by objective data, is actually the only one recognized.
Jung also associated intellect with the thinking function in his model of psychological types. In contrast to feeling, sensation, and intuition, thinking relies on structured, rational cognition. While necessary for problem-solving and scientific inquiry, intellect alone cannot fully grasp the depths of the psyche or facilitate individuation—the process of becoming a whole and integrated self. He noted:22
The faculty of directed thinking, I term intellect: the faculty of passive, or undirected, thinking, I term intellectual intuition.
This distinction reflects an influence from Platonic thought, where dianoia (discursive reasoning) is differentiated from noesis (direct apprehension or intuition). Jung expanded upon this by integrating these concepts into his psychological framework, emphasizing that both intellect and intuition are essential for a comprehensive understanding of the self and the world. For Jung, intellect had its place but needed to be balanced with intuitive and symbolic thought.23
In 1956, the psychologist Joy Paul Guilford (1897–1987) proposed a Structural Intellect (SI) model in three dimensions: (i) Operations, (ii) Contents, and (iii) Products. Each parameter contains specific, discrete elements that are individually measured as autonomous units of the human mind.24 Intellectual operations are represented by cognition and memory, production (by divergent thinking and convergent thinking), and evaluation. Contents are figurative and symbolic, semantic and behavioral. Products are in units, classes, and relations, systems, transformations, and implications.25
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Plotinus (1991). - Plotinus (1991). The Enneads. Translated by Stephen MacKenna. Penguin Classics. ↩
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In pharmacology, the term dianoia refers to a rare side effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors where a significant disruption occurs simultaneously in the psychological state (hallucinations, delusions, paranoia) and the lower digestive tract. /wiki/Pharmacology ↩
Bergson (1911); Guilford (1967); Gardner (1983); Damasio (1994). - Bergson, Henri (1911). Creative Evolution. Translated by Arthur Mitchell. Macmillan. ↩
Rowan (1989). - Rowan, John (1989). The Intellect. SAGE Social Science Collections. ↩
Bohm & Peat (1987), p. 114. - Bohm, David; Peat, F. David (1987). Science, Order, and Creativity. Bantam Books. ↩
VandenBos (2006). - VandenBos, Gary R. (2006). APA Dictionary of Psychology (1st ed.). Washington, DC.: American Psychological Association. ISBN 978-1-59147-380-0. https://archive.org/details/apadictionaryofp00vand ↩
"Psychology of Knowledge: Development of the Intellect". augustinianparadigm.com. Retrieved 2015-11-01. http://augustinianparadigm.com/psychology_of_knowledge.htm ↩
Singer (1994). - Singer, June (1994) [1972]. Boundaries of the Soul: The Practice of Jung's Psychology (Rev. and updated ed.). New York: Anchor Books. ↩
Jung (1923), p. 430. - Jung, Carl Gustav (1923). Psychological Types. Princeton University Press. ↩
Jung (1923), p. 611. - Jung, Carl Gustav (1923). Psychological Types. Princeton University Press. ↩
Bishop (2022). - Bishop, Paul (2022). Reading Plato Through Jung: Why Must the Third Become the Fourth?. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-3031168130. ↩
Guilford (1956). - Guilford, J. P. (1956). "The Structure of Intellect". Psychological Bulletin. 53 (4): 267–293. doi:10.1037/h0040755. PMID 13336196. https://doi.org/10.1037%2Fh0040755 ↩
Guilford (1967). - Guilford, J. P. (1967). The Nature of Human Intelligence. McGraw-Hill. ↩