In Chapter 4, the authors discussed the meanings of sounds of word roots dealing with knowledge. In this chapter, they use these discussions to create a diagram for the human cognitive system. They enhance this diagram with further discussions of the meanings of sounds of related Arabic word roots.
TopA Preliminary Diagram Of The Human Cognitive System
Please remember that the main goal of this book as its title suggests is to study “the evolution of new scientific theories and discoveries” based on the meanings of sounds (deep semantics).
Starting from fleeting Divine inspirations, we have extensively speculated in Chapter 4 about the role of the meanings of sounds in Divine and human knowledge processes. We did that during the discussion of the following word roots in Chapter 4, creating their definitions, and commenting on these definitions:
Definition 1 (word root iSM, name), Definition 6 (word root OLM, know as Creator), Definition 7 (word root OLM, know as human), Definition 8 (word root WHY, inspire), and Definition 10 (word root KLM, Divine statement or act).
We also compared the nature of Divine knowledge with the nature of human knowledge in Figure 22 of Chapter 4.
Definition 1 (name, iSM, Chapter 4) indicates that names (words) are signs that point to versatile process control flowcharts. We have seen many times in the previous chapters that the sounds that make up a word root are signs that have complex meanings that only God understands.
Verse 2:23 (Al-Qur’an, 1992) challenges humans to write a single surah (chapter) like the surahs of the Quran, and Verse 2:24 declares that humans will never be able to do that. Because humans are incapable of understanding what sounds mean (i.e., how language works), they can never write like God writes.
It appears that God emphasizes the importance of sounds in His work. Definition 1 confirms this claim. Names are seen as Divine master flowcharts that are translated into creation algorithms.
Definition 6 (know as Creator, OLM, Chapter 4) basically states that God knows how to use names as master formulas for creation. Definition 10 (Divine statement or act, KLM, Chapter 4) states that God can even combine names in the process of creation.
Humans, on the other hand, experience knowledge differently. Definition 7 (know as human, OLM, Chapter 4) says that knowledge for humans is simply a connection between names and things. Even this connection is beyond human understanding: It is a spiritual connection.
Even if humans were ever able to understand how the brain works, memory is not simply a brain function. The connection between names and things is not in the brain. It is in the “soul” which is what we mean when we say “mind.” The brain is simply an instrument of the soul (Popper & Eccles, 1977).
Therefore, we must assume that even this simple human method of knowledge is controlled by God. The connections between memory and things cannot be studied by humans because they cannot observe and study the soul.
Finally, when God makes a statement (word root KLM), then it is translated into action. He says “Be!” and it is. However, when a human being makes a statement (same word root, KLM), he simply puts words together. His words don’t create an event or a thing.
Part of God’s role as Lord (Definition 5, RBB, Chapter 4) is that He builds up humans who surrender to Him in stages and brings them to perfection. They are vessels for some Divine knowledge (OaLaMeenعالَمين from OLM, Definition 6, Chapter 4).
We will now use the above-mentioned speculations and Figure 22 from Chapter 4 to construct a preliminary diagram for the human cognitive system: Figure 1. While Isaac Newton said that all his discoveries were answers to prayers (Tiner, 2006, p. 30), this diagram attributes human cognitive functioning to God.