 Res Cogitans 2008 no. 5, vol. 1, 23-38 Cephalopod cognition, scholastic psychology By Árpád Kovács, University of Oulu and Jennifer A. Mather, University of Lethbridge Introduction The article examines cephalopod sensation, behavior and cognition from the point of view of modified scholastic psychology mainly according to Thomas Aquinas. The data about non-mammalian, nevertheless intelligent, animal is examined with the help of non-standard ideas in order to test how efficiently an objective framework can be constructed to discuss intelligence in general. We have organized data about cephalopods according to the scholastic concept of the soul. The data comes from research and observations conducted in field and in laboratory. Although from the scholastic point of view the existence of language is sufficient to conclude that an animal is rational, the criterion of language does not enter into scholastic definition, but rationality is determined by the use of certain mental faculties. Only detailed familiarization with the examined entity can bring about conclusion on intelligence. One logical consequence of the scholastic theory of sensation is that all information is present in sensory perception. Expressed critically, if the role of the active intellect of the scholastic psychology is to abstract the universal elements from particular details of the phantasma created by sense impressions, then already the sensible species must contain such information that can be abstracted. Is there inconsistency: The existence of conceptualizing ability in the sensitive faculties means the active intellect losing its role? In reality, there may be conceptualizing ability in the sensitive faculty without depriving the active intellect of the important abstracting role. Sensitive faculty consists of external and internal senses and, just as there are differences between the external senses of different animals, there are differences in conceptualizing abilities of the internal senses. The highest conceptualization or abstraction is achieved by the active intellect. Jacob von Uexküll´s Umwelt is very important for understanding