The Concept and Structure of Matter

This paper explores the fundamental philosophical category of matter as an objective reality that exists independently of human consciousness. The author proposes an original three-level classification of the material world, encompassing inanimate, living, and intelligent forms of existence. Particular attention is paid to the demystification of consciousness, which is treated as a material process, and the introduction of the concept of "distributed mind" as the highest form of organization of matter. The article formulates an expanded list of universal properties of matter, including its substantial self-sufficiency, qualitative inexhaustibility, and systemic hierarchy.