THE TERMS “NOTION” AND “CONCEPT”: THE MEANING VOLUME, STRUCTURE AND SPHERE OF USAGE

Abstract

The article compares the points of view of prominent scholars on the correspondence of the meaning range and structure of the terms “notion” and “concept”. The basic approaches to understanding of the both terms are distinguished; the main lines of comparison are shown; the author’s point of view on the notion and concept is pointed out in the process of investigation. The analysis proves that the notion and the concept have the same inner form, but they are different in nature, structure and sphere of usage. We can confirm that the concept is a complicated multidimensional term, with content including the notional features. The term “concept” is firmly established in the modern scientific discourse, it has replaced the synonymic terms, and is used in psychology, culture studies, linguistics. The term “notion” during its evolution was generalised and is encompasses a wide range of meanings. It is used in scientific investigations for a generic nomination of the corresponding terms.