Conceptology of Professor V.V. Kolesov as a synthesising branch of cognitive linguistics (to the 90th anniversary of the birth)

Abstract

The article briefly outlines the selfless enthusiastic activity of Vladimir Viktorovich Kolesov, a Russian philologist, Professor Emeritus of Saint Petersburg State University. His work resulted in the creation of a new university discipline, namely conceptology. The study reveals the specific features of this synthesising branch of cognitive linguistics (cognitive science). Moreover, it shows the connection between V. V. Kolesov’s concept as a historical cross-section of cognitive science and previous philosophical and linguistic knowledge. The paper emphasises the need to rely on folk mentality when studying particular languages (primarily Russian). It also notes that V. V. Kolesov continued the fruitful Russian linguistic traditions which developed an inherently cognitive approach to linguistic facts. The structure features of the book Fundamentals of Conceptology and the nature of assignments are described. In addition, the study high-lights some concepts which are crucial for conceptology. The article ends with a generalised portrait of a Man, Scientist, and Citizen of his country.