Spoznanie

Spoznanie is a Slavic term that denotes cognition, knowledge, or recognition. In several Slavic languages it refers both to the process of knowing and to the knowledge or understanding that results from that process. Variants appear as poznanie or poznání in languages such as Russian, Polish, Czech, and Slovak, and spoznanje in Slovenian, reflecting a common root built from the verb meaning to know or recognize.

Etymology and linguistic scope. The word derives from a Proto-Slavic root related to knowing, with different Slavonic languages forming the noun through suffixes that express the act of knowing or the state of knowledge. In everyday use, the term often means awareness or acquaintance, as in “gaining knowledge” or “acquaintance with a topic.” In scholarly contexts, especially in philosophy and pedagogy, it designates the cognitive process as well as its objects.

Philosophical and disciplinary context. In epistemology, spoznanije (рpoznanie) refers to the act of knowing, the methods of knowledge acquisition (perception, reason, science), and the nature and limits of what is known. Distinctions may be drawn between cognitive activity (the process) and cognitive content (the knowledge obtained). The term appears in various Slavic traditions to discuss how humans understand the world, align belief with evidence, and relate theory to practice. It also appears in religious and phenomenological texts to describe forms of knowledge, from empirical understanding to spiritual insight.

See also: knowledge, epistemology, cognition, recognition.