Human Intelligence: Paradoxes, Riddles, Development Prospects
Background: In the scientific literature, due to the complexity of understanding the essence and functional features of the concepts of “intelligence” and “consciousness”, they are paradoxically interchangeable. The riddle of consciousness origin is concealed behind the steady “paralleling” of the human psyche and rationality, leading to its exaggeration in the human mental sphere. The current situation of accelerated economy technicalization and digitalization compounds this scientific problem. Research method: Philosophical and general scientific methods have been applied in the work since the research is interdisciplinary. The dialectical-materialistic method is supplemented by the principles of analytical philosophy, systematic and synergetic approaches. Results: Intellectual abilities unite people and animals due to the aptitude to make a non-trivial decision in an unusual situation. Perhaps for this reason, human intelligence includes a significant layer of irrationality. In human activity, intelligence is rationalized. It becomes a necessary characteristic that provides a way out of egocentrism, self-isolation (i. e. an exit from the isolation of the physiological system). This characteristic is fixed in the new functionalities of the central nervous system (CNS), whereas interhemispheric asymmetry is supplemented by functional asymmetry of the whole brain, in contrast to animals. Based on the functional asymmetry of the human brain, one can clearly distinguish two channels of communication between human and nature system: verbal, evolutionarily young (new), and more ancient prosodic, common to animals. CNS becomes bifurcationally open instead of closed. The word becomes a bifurcation point based on the transition from the most energy-intensive inhibitory effect of the interhemispheric lateralization of functions to non-lateralized physiologically flexible formations of the cerebral cortex neurons. Such CNS openness becomes the basis for consciousness generation. Conclusion: Intelligence is a holistic practical human feature. Intelligence turns out to be the foundation of the mind due to the direct connection of the practical component (human activity) to the second signal system, which required total cerebration change: the emergence of functional asymmetry. It is important not to confuse cerebral lateralization of functions, inherent to animals, and the functional cerebral asymmetry, which is characteristic only for human brain. CNS transformation into an open autonomous system having, according to synergy principles, the ability to self-development can become a general scientific principle of the special role of consciousness in material world development justification (for justification of the anthropic principle, in particular).