Prof Paul Noordhof, University of York
Evaluative Perception as Response Dependent Representation
5 February 2014

After having distinguished at least two forms of evaluative perception across subject matter, I relate the debate to the question of whether perceptual content should be understood richly or austerely. One way to capture some of the motivations of both parties is to distinguish between sensory and non-sensory perceptual content. Evaluative properties typically figure in non-sensory perceptual contents.  Nevertheless, interestingly, many don’t display a hidden structure as, for example, kind properties do.  I seek to explain the way the way in which they are presented in experience – non sensorily but without hidden structure – in terms of the way in which they are represented. I argue we need to recognise the existence of representations constituted by our dispositions to respond in certain ways and outline how this may be developed.