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Toward a Perceptual Account of Mindreading
Author(s) -
Varga Somogy
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
philosophy and phenomenological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1933-1592
pISSN - 0031-8205
DOI - 10.1111/phpr.12556
Subject(s) - animacy , perception , psychology , phenomenology (philosophy) , philosophy of mind , cognitive psychology , epistemology , cognitive science , philosophy , metaphysics , neuroscience
A number of philosophers argue that consistent with the phenomenology of everyday mindreading, appropriately endowed observers are sometimes able to visually perceive that someone is angry. Call this view the Perceptual Account of Mindreading ( PA ). The paper starts by exploring the merits and limits of the main strategies that have been employed to defend PA . The second aim is to present and defend a version of PA , according to which some mental properties can be observational properties. Providing support for this thesis includes a shift of focus to properties presented in perceptual experience and a systematic examination of a body of recent empirical material on animacy perception and visual aftereffects.