Fogalom

Fogalom is a Hungarian term meaning concept or notion. In philosophy and cognitive science, it denotes a mental representation that allows people to think about objects, properties, and relations, and to classify and communicate about them. A concept enables drawing inferences and organizing experience by grouping objects that share features.

In theory, a concept has an intension and an extension. The intension is the content or meaning of the concept—the properties it prescribes—while the extension is the set of objects that fall under it. Different theories describe how concepts are formed and stored: classical theories emphasize defining features; prototype theories highlight typical or central examples; exemplar theories rely on remembered instances.

Concepts can be empirical or theoretical, abstract or concrete. In mathematics and logic, fogalom is used to denote fundamental notions or primitive ideas that underlie definitions and proofs. In everyday use, concepts are shaped by language, culture, and experience, and they can be vague or context-dependent.

Understanding fogalom involves considering how language expresses it, how it is learned, and how it changes over time. Cross-linguistic study of concepts shows how different communities carve up the world into categories. Knowledge of fogalom thus bridges philosophy, linguistics, and cognitive science.