© Cambridge University Press 2011 Chapter 4 Ways of knowing – Perception

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Perception Perception is one of the four ways of knowing: –Perception –Language –Emotion –Reason It is an awareness of the world through our five senses.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Which sense would you be most willing to lose? Humans are very visually oriented, e.g.: –‘Seeing is believing.’ –‘I see what you mean.’ –‘He has insight.’ Smell: –Our sense of smell has a more direct route to the brain than other senses. –It can stimulate emotional and/or sexual response, memories, etc. –The perfume industry profits from this.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Philosophical views of the base of knowledge Empiricism Phenomenalism Common-sense realism Active realism Scientific realism Rationalism

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Empiricism All knowledge is based on perceptual experience.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Phenomenalism This is a more extreme version of empiricism. Matter is the permanent possibility of sensation. It makes no sense to say that the world exists independently of our experience of it. George Berkeley (1685–1753): ‘To be is to be perceived.’ It does not mean that if something is not perceived it does not exist. It is just that if we do not perceive it, it may not exist, e.g. does your home still exist when you cannot see it?

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Common-sense realism Observation does not affect what is observed. If our senses were not reliable we would not have survived as a species.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Active realism Our perception is based on what is ‘out there’, but is filtered by the structure of our sense organs.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Scientific realism The world exists as an independent reality very different from the way we perceive it. Our world has sound, smell, etc. The physical world consists of colourless, soundless atoms whizzing in empty space.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Rationalism Reason is the most important source of new knowledge. We can discover new truths by using reason alone.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Perceptual illusions External stimulus → sense cells stimulated → brain unconsciously filters incoming information → subjective interpretation → personal version of reality.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Visual illusions (1) Best explained by illustrations, pp. 87–90. Context: –Problem: the relative position of things results in different judgements, e.g. perspective. Figure and ground: –Problem: what you see is dependent on the things you assume are subject or background.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Visual illusions (2) Visual grouping: –Problem: the brain takes patterns and fills in missing parts to make a meaningful picture which may not be correct. Expectations: –Problem: can cause visual errors, e.g. it is difficult to spot errors in one’s own writing.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Selectivity of perception Incoming perception is filtered to avoid ‘brain overload’. We focus on what is ‘important’ at the time. It is filtered by our interests (which can change). Potential threats can intrude on our focus and make us notice them.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Seeing and believing: science Beliefs can affect perception: –Nineteenth-century astronomers thought there might be a planet (Vulcan) between Mercury and the sun. –Some claimed to have seen it through their telescopes, but it did not exist.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Seeing and believing: history 30 January 1972 Bloody Sunday, Northern Ireland: –British and Irish Catholic eye-witnesses both claimed the other side attacked first.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Seeing and believing: art Some artists draw horses with eyelashes top and bottom, but horses only have top lashes.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Eye-witness testimony can differ Every time we remember something we reconstruct it in our minds, so its reliability is undermined.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Distinguishing appearance from reality We may: –misinterpret what we see –fail to notice something –misremember what we have seen. We should not be too sceptical because: 1another sense may confirm the evidence 2we tend to question/test the coherence of illogical perception, e.g. blue flying pigs 3credibility is reinforced by independent testimony.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Ultimate reality Our perceptions are filtered by the limitations of our sensory cells (also known as the ‘psychology of perception’).

© Cambridge University Press 2011 Limitations of perceptions Sight: wavelength of light. Sound: wavelength of sound. Smell: only certain kinds of smell stimulate sensory cells in nose. Touch: minimal stimulation necessary in order to fire sensory cells in skin. Taste: only certain chemicals stimulate sensory cells in tongue.

© Cambridge University Press 2011 What is really out there? External stimulus → sense cells stimulated → brain unconsciously filters incoming information → subjective interpretation → personal version of reality.