Unit name | Philosophy of Perception |
---|---|
Unit code | PHIL30119 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
Unit director | Dr. Pearson |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
none |
Co-requisites |
none |
School/department | Department of Philosophy |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit examines the philosophy of perception. We will investigate central debates in the philosophy of perception and evaluate their bearing on issues in epistemology, philosophy of science, and contemporary aesthetics. Topics to be covered include representationalism about perceptual experience, non-conceptual content, ecological versus constructivist approaches to perception, the role of action and emotion in perception, cognitive penetrability of perception, the nature of hallucinations, and the debate about visual imagery. Given the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of contemporary philosophy of perception, special emphasis will be given to showing how some of the central questions in this subfield of philosophy may be informed by empirical data in cognitive science and neuroscience.
Unit Aims:
On successful completion of this unit, students will:
10 x one hour lectures, 10 x one hour seminars
1 x 2250 word formative essay, supporting development of ILO 1 - 4. Satisfactory completion of the formative essay is required to gain credit for this unit.
1 x 3 hour examination (summative, 100% of unit mark), assessing ILO 1 - 4.
Dretske, Fred (1969). Seeing And Knowing. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press.
Fodor, Jerry A. (1983). The Modularity of Mind. MIT Press.
Gendler, Tamar & Hawthorne, John (eds.) (2006). Perceptual Experience. Oxford University Press.
Noë, Alva & Thompson, Evan (eds.) (2002). Vision and Mind: Selected Readings in the Philosophy of Perception. MIT Press.