The next Neural Mechanisms Online webinar “Subjective Perspectives and Perceptual Variance” will be delivered by Susanna Schellenberg on May 6th. See below for details about the free talk and how to join.



Subjective Perspectives and Perceptual Variance

Susanna Schellenberg (Rutgers)

6 May 2022

h14-16 Greenwhich Mean Time / 16-18 CEST (check your local time here)

Join the meeting via Webex (the link will be activated 10 mins before the talk)

Abstract. Perception is to its core perspectival: we perceive our surrounding from a location, under specific lighting and acoustic conditions and other such perceptual conditions. Due to the perspectival nature of perception, any case of perception can have both variant and invariant properties. While the variant properties alter with changes in perceptual conditions, the invariant properties remain stable regardless of such changes. What is the nature of these variant and invariant properties? Are they properties in our environment? Are they properties of perceptual consciousness? By explaining the variant and invariant aspect of perceptual consciousness in terms of representations of external, mind-independent properties in our environment, this paper furthers an externalist account of perceptual consciousness. In doing so, it breaks with a long tradition—still alive today—of analyzing perspectival variance purely in terms of mind-dependent appearance properties. Perceptual variance is a key aspect of our subjective perspective and our egocentric point of view. The naturalist analysis of perspectival variance provides an explanation for how it can be an element of the subjective perspective of any perceiver—be it a dolphin, snake, or human.

You can preview the paper here.

Practical information:

• How to join the session can be found at https://www.neuralmechanisms.org/how-to-connect.html
• Troubleshooting page: https://www.neuralmechanisms.org/troubleshooting.html

Videos of prior talks can be found on the Neural Mechanisms YouTube channel.