Categorical matrix of theoretical psychology
Authors: Furman Anatoliy 
Published: January 2021

The methodological research is devoted to the substantiation of the composition, structure, functions, content filling and features of interpretation and usage by the scientist-thinker the categorical matrix of theoretical psychology as an original world of metatheoretical self-reflexive thought-activity. At the same time the cyclical-deed organizational scheme to achieve this goal is purposefully implemented, which focuses on four interdependent fundamental perspectives-stages of cognitive creativity development: a) in the frameworks of outstanding achievements of the most influential scientific schools of domestic and foreign time-space of the XX-th century concerning the creation of a categorical system of psychological science in general and theoretical psychology in particular from different worldviews (situational component); b) in the format of the author’s definition of segments or dimensions of the subject field of this relatively new and so far little elaborated by intellectuals direction of modern psychology development (psychological cognition as a thought activity, fundamental problems of psychology, methodological principles and approaches, tasks, problem and versions of creation of psychology’s categorical order – motivational component); c) in a logically reasoned set of interdependent conditions, regularities, procedures and characteristics of implementation of a typological approach as an accurate, perfect and at the same time multi-module and multifunctional tool of professional methodological work (active component); d) in the complementarity of metatheoretization and reflexive methodologization, when analytical-synthetic mastering is subject to both available in psychological discourse conceptual and categorical definitions and formulations, and the canonical model of theoretical psychology, which essentially appears as an aspect of human existence and in a taxonomically perfect composition of harmonized between each other themes and categorical definitions (post-action component). For the transition from a naturalistic approach in cognition of mental reality and hence from numerous theories of mental and self-sufficient object-centered thinking to self-reflexive directed metatheoretization of psychological science over one’s own achievements on the historical canvas of humankind cultural development by actualizing universal resources of methodological thinking and, therefore, to the heights of theoretical psychology, the author substantiates a five-module methodological optics of the study of its categorical order, covering a functionally level-by-level set of lenses-tools of methodologization at the levels: s p e c i f i c – is a quaternary or quintet thought-scheme as a basic material-means of methodological activity implementation; s i n g u l a r – the construction of a categorical matrix, which allows the creation of 12 systematic taxa of categorical quaternity, semantically presenting theoretical psychology as a separate newly emerging conscious layer of human existence; s p e c i a l – a typological approach in the dialectical mosaic of its categories, principles, norms, procedures, parameters and intellectual means, which allows to obtain a perfect typology in its optimal invariant - the categorical matrix; g e n e r a l – the sphere of professional methodologization-as-practice, which is a dialectical continuation and thought-deed concretization of the world of methodology-as-teaching in its central link – methodological thinking; u n i v e r s a l – a vitacultural methodology that not only enriches the semiotic completeness of culture and expands the existential horizons of consciousness, but also enables the thought-active and thought-deed practice of high perfection. It is proved that, unlike numerical tables, categorical matrices on construction, semantic attachment, internal combination of elements, methodological purpose and functional field of influence on multiplication of ideal forms of thinking-thought activity of human conscious ability make original and heuristic, though supercomplicated tool of cognition and methodologization, and therefore characterize the latest stage in the evolution of rational-humanitarian knowledge in its core – the categorical genesis of both individual sciences and interdisciplinary directions of cognitive creativity. Five advantages of this self-sufficient author’s tool are rubriced and argued in the work: fundamentality of epistemic content filling, logicity of form and way of obtaining categorical ensemble, optimality of structure and internal balance of taxonomic categories configuration, ideality of constructed and designed as a theoretical model of a holistic picture of categories in their harmonious synthesis, practicality in the broadest sense of freedom of metatheoretization, methodologization, thinking action and self-reflection with categories and taxa of the matrix. The optimal architectonics of this matrix was found, which in the central (inner) part contains a systematics of 16 mutually agreed and in certain hierarchical combinations of grouped taxonomic categories, organized into eight taxa, and its outer contour, which forms two (horizontally and vertically) equally named, however different in aspects of consideration of the multidisciplinary object of metatheoretization, chains of dialectical categories “general – special – singular – specific – universal”, which are named as two mutually penetrated thematic bases, that receive the resulting boundaries below and above – generalization of the top achievements of theoretical psychology. In this way 12 categorical taxa were obtained, each of which can be subjected to a detailed study. Taking into account the advantages of the categorical matrix, its five main functions are substantiated and meaningfully characterized – structural-systemic, logical-cognitive, organizational-synthesizing, thought-communicative and instrumental-methodological, as well as, accordingly, has been pointed out on vitacultural, typological, taxonomic, system-thought-action and cyclically-deed approaches that implement these approaches, and on a number of principles that specify each of these approaches. With regard to the essential content filling of the categorical matrix proposed for the first time to the scientific society, it is comprehensively highlighted that behind each of the 12 quintetly ordered taxa of categories (five horizontally and vertically and two diagonally) there is either a direction or a school of theoretical psychology development or a methodological principle or approach in psychology, or a certain system or epistemic organization of psychological cognition or theoretical creativity. It is proved that the stated model of the matrix makes it possible for a psychologist-thinker to achieve a personified (motivated and comprehended) canvas of the categorical order of theoretical psychology, not only in revealing hitherto unknown and little understood dimensions-aspects of human existence, but also in curbing the emotional saturation, vagueness and organic spontaneity of actualized concepts of thinking as a life-giving core of lace of psychological categories, which realizes self-reflexive progress in the bosom of increasing the mental potential of one’s own conscious ability to learn and create psycho-spiritual in all possible forms and markers of its phenomenal manifestation. At the same time, it is concluded that the world of theoretical psychology is the most thoroughly founded and the most meaningfully enriched by the creative scientific achievements of the outstanding Ukrainian intellectual and worthy person Volodymyr Roments. In particular, his multi-volume author’s presentation of the history of world’s psychology, which implements the fundamentals, regularities and norms of the deed’s principle in psychology from ancient times to the end of the twentieth century, contains that extremely important vitacultural material which not only appears as a product of psychological cognition and from which previously unseen horizons of the field of historical-psychological research are mentally spread, but also which can be subjected to repeated self-reflection of psychological science by its individual and collective subjects of creativity. This means that in the future the final philosophical-psychological field of reflection will be subject to renewal, which according to the deed principle is canonically constructed by the talent of Academician Romenets and which requires further methodological comprehension. At the same time, canonical psychology and its derivative epistemic formations (the procedure of canonization of psychological systems, the concept of psychological canon, etc.) in unity with psychosophy of the deed as a methodology of cognition of the sources and essence of human existence are specific cultural patterns of self-reflexively performed metatheoretization, which is implemented with the help of personally well-developed principles, postulates and means of philosophical methodologization (especially the deed principle and the method of action dialectics). In general, a new categorical matrix solves one of the most important tasks of theoretical psychology – provides analytically reasoned selection-construction of the optimal typology of categories by four main criteria: a) by a methodological substantiationess of research tools and instruments of its construction, structure, content, interpretation and usage, b) by a conceptual-conscious completeness of psychological thinking about the mental and psycho-spiritual as separate aspects of human life in the socio-humanitarian sphere, c) by a horizon of conceptual-terminological complementarity of the fields of categories and themes involved, d) by a quantitative set and structural-functional invariance of categorical taxa. Finally, it is reasonably stated that the quintessence of the categorical composition of theoretical psychology at the level of the universal horizontally and vertically of the matrix is the act of metatheoretization in its spiral integrity of situational, motivational, action and post-action components and in the form of individual (personal) and group (representatives of a separate scientific school) implementation.