(2410615 - 1) PHILOSOPHY OF PERCEPTION

Lecturer: Majid D. Beni

Email: mbeni@metu.edu.tr

Course Description: This graduate-level course explores the intricate relationship between the philosophy of perception and scientific insights from physics and psychology. We will delve into the metaphysical and epistemological aspects of perception, drawing on key texts from contemporary philosophy and cognitive science. Our primary aim is to bridge the gap between scientific understanding and our lived experiences, shedding light on how perception shapes our knowledge and worldview.

Course Outcomes: By the end of this course, students will:

a. Develop the skills to critically read and write about topics discussed in the course and related subjects.

b. Understand and engage in critical discussions on the metaphysical and epistemological aspects of perception informed by scientific findings.

c. Recognize the connection between epistemological and metaphysical views of perception and scientific accounts of representation.

d. Reconstruct and critically evaluate the main philosophical responses to questions concerning the nature of perception.

Background reading:

• Hohwy, Jakob. The Predictive Mind. OUP Oxford, 2013.
• Clark, A. Surfing Uncertainty. Oxford University Press, 2016.
• Papineau, D. The Metaphysics of Sensory Experience. Oxford University Press, 2021.
• Parr, T., Pezzulo, G., & Friston, K. J. Active Inference: The Free Energy Principle in Mind, Brain, and Behavior. MIT Press, 2022.

Course Schedule:

Week 1: Physics and Perception

• Read: Part 2 of Russell, B. The Analysis of Matter (1927). Kegan Paul.

Week 2: Perception and Agency

• Read: Price, H. Agency and Probabilistic Causality (1991). The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 42(2), 157-176.

Week 3: Perception and Causation

• Read: Woodward, J. Data and Phenomena (1989). Synthese, 393-472.
• Read: Bogen, J., & Woodward, J. Saving the Phenomena (1988). The Philosophical Review, 97(3), 303-352.

Week 4: Real Patterns

• Read: Dennett, D. C. Real Patterns (1991). The Journal of Philosophy, 88(1), 27–51.

Week 5: First Midterm

Week 6: Perception and Embodiment

• Read: Clark, A. Busting Out: Predictive Brains, Embodied Minds, and the Puzzle of the Evidentiary Veil (2017). Noûs, 51(4), 727-753.

Week 7: Perception and Representation

• Read: Hohwy, Jakob. How to Entrain Your Evil Demon (2017).

Week 8: Perception and Epistemic Reliability

• Read: Beni, M. D. On the Underpinning Mechanisms of (Epistemically) Reliable Processes (2019). International Journal for the Study of Skepticism, 11(1), 28-52.

Week 9: To Be Announced

Week 10: Second Midterm

Week 11: TBA

Week 12: TBA

Week 13: TBA

Week 14: Consciousness and Quantum Mechanics

• Read: David J. Chalmers and Kelvin J. McQueen, Consciousness and the Collapse of the Wave Function

Coursework and Grading:

• Participation: 20%
• Intermediate Exams (Two Mid-term Essays): 40% (20% each)
• Final Exam (Final Paper): 50%

Plagiarism Policy: Students must properly cite all sources used in their work. A consistent citation style must be maintained throughout the course.

Changes to the Program: Please note that the syllabus is provisional and subject to revision during the semester. It is the students' responsibility to stay updated about any changes.

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