What is 의식, 인식, 재인, 인지?

Human being is aware of self and aware of the external world outside the mind. As a human being, we have intentionality of things in us and outside of us, it is state of being directive aware of something else. We have consciousness, directive awareness is pointing to something to other, so we are having relation to think and know about it. If we lose 의식(consciousness) we cannot be aware of things, it is loss of consciousness.

인식 is recognition or realization. If we say Jungian sense we can realize ourselves, it means we realize our self which was true self. 인식 is often used in the phrases like “진정한 자기를 인식하다” which is read “The real self is recognized” where recognized is in Korean language synonym to realization.

재인 is psychological term, in English word recognition. It is suggested term from psychological research, to know about something again into deep. It is re-cognition, so when “re” is used as again, it means “to know about something again” or “to know about something deeper than before” but other than academic sense, it has nuance in Korean “재인식” is more frequent use.

인지 is cognition, it is to knowing about things intellectual endeavor. If one is doing home assignment work, or is critiquing artwork, or reading theis papers, the activity of it have quality of it is cognitive endeavor. 인지과학(the cognitive science) is example.

In some sense, in Korean language, 인지 and 인식 replace the word 재인 in daily sense. 인지 and 인식 are also many texts interchangible term in daily sense, I recommend when you use the terms, distinct it, while to understand other people’s usage, be flexible from its contextual nuances.

Please refer these model terms:

의식 – consciousness, awareness
인식 – realization, recognition
재인 – recognition
인지 – cognition
오감 – five senses
인식된 것 – sensation
감각 – perception
통각 – apperception
개념화 – conceptualization
개념으로 인식하다 – to conceive

Examples:
철수는 자신의 실수가 자꾸만 의식되었다.
그는 자동차 사고로 의식을 잃었다
해방 전후사의 인식.
그 사실을 재인하다.
예술가들의 작품 활동의 인지적 측면은 무엇인가?
그 요리사는 미각적 감각이 탁월해.

Scroll to Top