Consciousness
Thinking is often confused with consciousness.
Consciousness is the multifaceted mechanism, which
subsumes and encompasses all forms of thought.
Consciousness includes awareness, emotionally
articulateable acuities, kinesthetic knowings, psychic experiences.
Gardner's "intelligences" are modes
of consciousness from which thinking can develop.
Thinking is a specific kind of consciousness.
Thinking is not necessarily primarily linguistically based but it does
require
a symbol system (for its mechanical structure) and
at least a fundamental awareness of the existence of an "other"
(for its motivative structure).
Thinking, if you will pardon an odd metaphor, is the math of consciousness.
Thinking is a form of consciousness that works by
the association of symbols to create meaning. Because it must do its work
through
the use of symbols, thinking is always at least one step
removed from the complexities of experience. Thinking is divorced from
the objects
of our senses, and can, removed from these spatial restrictions, therefore
move outside
the restraints of time as well.
This strength is also its weakness: Since thought can be easily divorced
from space and time (the ability to ignore space/time constraints) applied
thought, without careful testing for its effect on the lifeworld, can
do tremendous
damage to those systems within which we must live - handle with care.