Scholarlink

<p>Human beings have often been conceptualized through emblematic figures that highlight central dimensions of human existence, such as rational calculation, play, fabrication, narration, or symbolic interpretation. This article introduces <i>Homo Putans</i>—the supposing human—not as a replacement for these figures, nor as an alternative to <i>Homo sapiens</i>, but as a conceptual model for a specific processual dimension of human cognition: the capacity to generate provisional interpretations under conditions of uncertainty. The article advances the discussion by developing a systematic structural account of suppositional cognition. It proposes the <i>Suppositional Structure Model (SSM)</i>, which understands supposition not as a complete architecture of cognition, but as a recurrent process within broader human cognitive architecture. The model identifies five interrelated processual moments: epistemic uncertainty, possibility projection, cognitive suspension, orientation, and meaning construction. Together, these moments describe how individuals move from incomplete information toward provisional interpretations without yet forming stable beliefs. The article argues that supposition occupies an intermediate cognitive space between perception, imagination, assumption, hypothesis, and belief. Its significance lies in its ability to sustain openness while enabling orientation in ambiguous social environments. By clarifying both the structure and limits of suppositional cognition, the article seeks to avoid conceptual inflation while showing how provisional interpretations contribute to individual understanding and collective meaning formation. In this sense, <i>Homo Putans</i> names not the whole of human cognition, but a crucial mode through which humans inhabit uncertainty and construct meaning.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Homo Putans: Toward a Structural Theory of Supposition

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月26日

查看全文
  • Can Büyükbay

摘要

Human beings have often been conceptualized through emblematic figures that highlight central dimensions of human existence, such as rational calculation, play, fabrication, narration, or symbolic interpretation. This article introduces Homo Putans—the supposing human—not as a replacement for these figures, nor as an alternative to Homo sapiens, but as a conceptual model for a specific processual dimension of human cognition: the capacity to generate provisional interpretations under conditions of uncertainty. The article advances the discussion by developing a systematic structural account of suppositional cognition. It proposes the Suppositional Structure Model (SSM), which understands supposition not as a complete architecture of cognition, but as a recurrent process within broader human cognitive architecture. The model identifies five interrelated processual moments: epistemic uncertainty, possibility projection, cognitive suspension, orientation, and meaning construction. Together, these moments describe how individuals move from incomplete information toward provisional interpretations without yet forming stable beliefs. The article argues that supposition occupies an intermediate cognitive space between perception, imagination, assumption, hypothesis, and belief. Its significance lies in its ability to sustain openness while enabling orientation in ambiguous social environments. By clarifying both the structure and limits of suppositional cognition, the article seeks to avoid conceptual inflation while showing how provisional interpretations contribute to individual understanding and collective meaning formation. In this sense, Homo Putans names not the whole of human cognition, but a crucial mode through which humans inhabit uncertainty and construct meaning.