Perceptual capacities, discrimination, and the senses.

In this paper, I defend a new theory of the nature and individuation of perceptual capacities. I argue that we need a theory of perceptual capacities to explain modal facts about what sorts of perceptual phenomenal states one can be in. I defend my view by arguing for three adequacy constraints on a...

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Published in:Synthese Vol. 199; no. 5/6; pp. 14063 - 14086
Main Author: Hornett, William
Format: Article
Published: Springer Nature Dec2021
Subjects:
Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
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        10.1007/s11229-021-03410-2
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        au: Hornett, William
        affil: Department of Philosophy, The University of Sheffield, 45 Victoria Street, S3 7QB, Sheffield, UK
      su:
        Differentiation (Cognition)
        Theory of constraints
        Individuation (Psychology)
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        subj:
          Differentiation (Cognition)
          Theory of constraints
          Individuation (Psychology)
      keyword:
        Molyneux's Question
        Perceptual capacities
        Perceptual discrimination
        Perceptual experience
        The senses
      ab: In this paper, I defend a new theory of the nature and individuation of perceptual capacities. I argue that we need a theory of perceptual capacities to explain modal facts about what sorts of perceptual phenomenal states one can be in. I defend my view by arguing for three adequacy constraints on a theory of perceptual capacities: perceptual capacities must be individuated at least partly in terms of their place in a hierarchy of capacities, where these capacities include the senses themselves; an adequate account of perceptual capacities must be sensitive to empirical considerations; and an adequate account should accommodate the nature of the capacity to perceive. I arrive at these constraints by considering how Schellenberg's view fails, before defending and developing my alternative in line with the constraints. I defend a view on which there are few, coarse-grained perceptual capacities which can fulfil complex explanatory roles because they are evaluatively gradable on many axes. Finally, on my view, perceptual capacities bear a particularly close relation to the sensory modalities themselves.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
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      src: R
    language: English
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