Literature and consciousness have always been in close interrelation. From the first written forms to modern times, literature not only reflects the world, but also shapes the perception of reality, opening new horizons of understanding human nature and society. This article examines the links between language, literature and consciousness, their development and impact on the perception of reality through the prism of scientific and cultural changes.

The Origins of Literature: From Myth to Word

Literature originated in myths, epics, and ritual texts, where the word was a powerful tool for conveying not only information but also a world of feelings, experiences, and philosophical reflections. In the early periods of human civilization, language and literature served as a link between man and his world. The origins of literary creation can be found in myths and religious texts that revealed not only the worldview but also the essence of human existence.

With the development of writing and culture, literary forms became increasingly complex and multi-layered. Literature began to be increasingly seen as a tool for realizing and transmitting human experience. Thus, from the very beginning, literature was not just an image of reality, but also a mechanism for conceptualizing, creating, processing and understanding it.

Literature of the twentieth century: scientific and cultural transformation

With the beginning of the twentieth century, the world experienced radical changes in the perception of reality. Revolutionary discoveries in physics, especially the work of Einstein, changed the view of space, time, and reality, challenging traditional conceptions of the world. In turn, these changes were reflected in literary works that experimented with form and content.

C. P. Snow’s 1959 Cambridge lecture “The Two Cultures” was a milestone in the discussion of the schism between science and literature. Snow noted that the scientific and humanities approaches had begun to diverge, and scientists and writers began to understand each other less and less. On the one hand, literature, increasingly oriented toward subjectivism and the inner world of man, had lost interest in objective reality. On the other hand, the scientific community also distanced itself from the humanities, perceiving them as devoid of value in the face of rapid scientific and technological progress.

Steven Pinker, in his book The Blank Slate, argues that modernism and postmodernism, by emphasizing the subjective and often irrational aspects of human experience, have hindered the scientific sophistication of both the general reading public and academia. The opposing currents, shaping images of the world through the prism of reason and emotion, led to an ideological divide between science and literature that persisted throughout much of the twentieth century.

The process of reading and perceiving reality through literature

Reading is not simply the act of perceiving a text, but a process of deeply integrating information into the mind. For the writer, it is not just the creation of words and sentences, but the recreation of the picture of the world that he or she seeks to convey to his or her reader. Through literature, the writer transforms personal experiences into universal concepts that can be perceived and conceptualized by others.

From a pedagogical perspective, the reading process represents an essential part of the educational journey. In the context of early childhood education, the ability to perceive and understand literature is not limited to reading text alone. In the early stages of development, when the child’s brain is still actively forming associative connections, literature becomes an important tool for forming an awareness of reality, developing imagination and cognitive abilities.

The writing process, on the other hand, requires the writer’s ability not only to organize ideas, but also to analyze and synthesize these ideas deeply into a coherent picture. Here, awareness of context is particularly important, as well as the ability to perceive and transform elements of reality in order to convey them through the art of words.

Literary awareness and the future of education

In the future, the role of literature and the process of realizing reality through it will only increase. The modern education system will strive to teach children not only to read and write, but also to think through literature. This requires the introduction of new approaches in teaching based on the integration of science, art and philosophy.

Literature, through its special way of representing reality, can serve as a bridge between scientific and artistic perception of the world. It will be important to realize that literature should not be perceived as an artificial separation from other forms of knowledge, but as a full-fledged part of the general cultural context, which contributes to a deeper understanding and comprehension of both the real world and the subjective perception of this world.

In conclusion, literature and consciousness are inextricably linked, and in the future these links will become increasingly important for education and understanding the world. Education oriented towards an integrated perception of reality can be an important step towards creating a harmonious and deep awareness of reality.