The patterns of conceptual representation and the symbolic exchange: Marx's construal of systemic effects in new contexts

The paper is devoted to historical and philosophical analysis of the patterns of conceptual representation in the theoretical models of scientific cognition which not only rely on Marx’s construal of systemic effects, but also imply some new contexts. The umbrella term “systemic effects” implies a peculiar mode of action of whatever complex system that cannot be explained by referring to the theoretical model of the linear cause-effect relationships between the elements and should be interpreted as the consequence of a certain degree of complexity of the system itself. Marx did not develop the original idea of representation as an explicit and complete theory, but he introduced the methodology of the analysis of the systemic effects that can be applied to the analysis of representation to wide extent. It is pointed out that the scientific cognition issued the challenge of reliable representations for the object domain and they tended to take the shape of conceptual models. The representation, being generallythe substitution of one entity for another, is considered as an aspect of pervasive social symbolization that occurs against a background of systemic effects in exactly the same way as the economic processes. It is concluded that just modified Marx’s stance became essential for the consideration of the forms of abstractive thinking, the formation of concepts, and the representational models both in general and in respect to specific problems of epistemology and philosophy of science.