Description
This monograph proposes a new interpretation of dual-process cognition, building on the foundational work of Daniel Kahneman. Instead of treating System 1 and System 2 as separate mechanisms, it reconceptualizes them as two levels of a single cognitive field: System 1 as a local operator generating immediate responses, and System 2 as a global operator imposing structure, coherence, and control. The classical functional paradigm - central to models such as Cumulative Prospect Theory - assumes that preferences are stable, separable, and context-independent. However, empirical evidence, including paradoxes identified by Michael H. Birnbaum, shows that cognition is inherently context-sensitive and non-separable. In response, the monograph introduces Cognitive Field Theory (CFT), in which decisions emerge asstable configurations of a field defined by a local kernel and a global functional . This framework provides a geometric interpretation of rationality: stability corresponds to well-formedfield structure, while biases, instability, and paradoxes arise when this structure breaks down. The theory integrates dynamics, learning, and stochasticity, showing that cognition evolves overtime and across phases. It also extends beyond individual decision-making to social and economic systems, which are modeled as interacting cognitive fields. By reframing Kahneman’s dual-process theory within a unified geometric and dynamical framework, this work offers a new foundation for understanding rationality, its limits, and its variability across contexts.