þekkingarhyggju

Þekkingarhyggja is an Icelandic term that translates to "knowledge-centrism" or "cognitivism." It refers to a philosophical and psychological perspective that emphasizes the central role of knowledge and cognitive processes in understanding human behavior, learning, and development. This approach posits that mental states, such as beliefs, desires, and intentions, are understood and explained in terms of their propositional content and their functional roles within an individual's cognitive system.

In essence, þekkingarhyggja suggests that what a person knows, how they acquire that knowledge, and how they use it are fundamental to explaining why they act in certain ways. It contrasts with purely behavioral approaches that focus solely on observable actions and external stimuli. This perspective is influential in fields like artificial intelligence, where the aim is to create systems that can reason and problem-solve based on internal knowledge representations. It also underpins many educational theories that prioritize understanding concepts and developing critical thinking skills over rote memorization. The focus is on internal mental structures and their manipulation as the primary drivers of intelligent behavior.