#462 David Papineau: The Metaphysics of Sensory Experience
RECORDED ON MARCH 26th 2021.
Dr. David Papineau is Professor of Philosophy at King’s College London, having previously taught for several years at Cambridge University where he was a fellow of Robinson College. He was President of the British Society for Philosophy of Science for 1993-5, President of the Mind Association for 2009-10, and President of the Aristotelian Society for 2013-14. He’s also the author of 9 books, including Philosophical Naturalism, Thinking About Consciousness, and Knowing the Score. His new book is The Metaphysics of Sensory Experience.
In this episode, we focus on The Metaphysics of Sensory Experience. We first define sensory experience, discuss its conscious nature, and talk about false sensory experiences, like illusions and hallucinations. We ask if sensory experience is primarily about objects of subjects, and we also define what an object of perception is. We discuss the relationship between metaphysics and epistemology. We talk about different theories in the metaphysics of sensory experience, including naïve realism, representationalism, and sense-datum theories. We detail Dr. Papineau’s qualitative view of sensory experience, and ask if it has anything to say about concepts and consciousness. We talk about the distinction between sensory experience and thought. Finally, we discuss if answering questions in the metaphysics of sensory experience has any implications for metaphysics more generally.
Time Links:
Intro
What is sensory experience?
False sensory experiences (illusions, hallucinations)
Does sensory experience involve the features of the object, or the intrinsic properties of subjects?
The relationship between metaphysics and epistemology
Different theories, and the qualitative view of sensory experience
The issue with concepts
The nature of consciousness
Sensory experience and thought
Other questions in metaphysics
Follow Dr. Papineau’s work!
Follow Dr. Papineau’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/3w3J0xd
Personal website: https://bit.ly/3fdduXu
Books: https://amzn.to/3vY3SFY
The Metaphysics of Sensory Experience: https://amzn.to/3w0AsXE
Twitter handle: @davidpapineau