Border Disputes: Recent Debates along the Perception–Cognition Border
Philosophy Compass May 28, 2023 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1111/phc3.12936 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
This article reviews recent philosophical and scientific debates about whether a clear boundary exists between perception and cognition. It first considers the eliminativist view that no such border should be recognized in scientific ontology. It then examines five positive approaches for drawing a distinction, based on phenomenology, revisability, modularity, format, and stimulus-dependence, critically assessing each.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | There are five main positive approaches to marking a perception-cognition border, each with significant challenges, and the possibility of eliminating the distinction altogether remains viable. |
Abstract
The distinction between perception and cognition frames countless debates in philosophy and cognitive science. But what, if anything, does this distinction actually amount to? In this introductory article, we summarize recent work on this question. We first briefly consider the possibility that a perception-cognition border should be eliminated from our scientific ontology, and then introduce and critically examine five positive approaches to marking a perception–cognition border, framed in terms of phenomenology, revisability, modularity, format, and stimulus-dependence .