Philosophy of Perception - PHI00129I

«Back to module search

Module summary

In this module, we will explore a range of philosophical puzzles about perception: our most fundamental form of access to the world around us. Topics covered might include theories of perception, colour, non-visual perception, the perception of absence, and the vexed question of which properties can properly be said to be perceived.

Professional requirements

N/A

Related modules

N/A

Module will run

Occurrence	Teaching period
A	Semester 2 2026-27

Module aims

The module aims to:

—develop students’ knowledge and understanding of a representative range of key puzzles, problems, issues, and debates in Philosophy of Perception

—develop students’ abilities to think critically and reflectively about difficult conceptual questions

— introduce students to a range of the methods and strategies deployed in contemporary debates in Philosophy of Perception and develop their abilities to use these

— develop students’ abilities to improve their own work—e.g. by making good use of feedback

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

—understand and explain a range of key problems, issues, and debates in the Philosophy of Perception and express this understanding in clear, precise, and accessible terms

—develop and articulate ranges of alternative solutions to problems and issues in the Philosophy of Perception in an open-minded way, drawing on module materials

—develop and articulate arguments for the alternative solutions considered in relation to problems and issues in the Philosophy of Perception, drawing on module materials, identifying some points of weakness and some potential points for development

—make a judgement about what is the best view on a particular problem in the Philosophy of Perception and argue in defence of this judgement

—identify some of their strengths and weaknesses by evaluating their own work in relation to departmental marking criteria

—apply simple strategies for improving their work, based on critical reflection, advice, and feedback

Module content

Module content might cover:

• Philosophical theories of perceptual experience, including Representationalism, Naive Realism, Sense Data Theory and Adverbialism
• Philosophical theories of colour and of the experience of colour
• Puzzles and problems about the perception of absence
• Puzzles and problems that arise from thinking about non-visual perception (such as smell, hearing, bodily awareness, touch, and multimodal perception)
• Questions about the admissible contents of perceptual experience: e.g., whether we can perceive aesthetic properties, affordances, or other people’s emotional states

Indicative assessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Special assessment rules

None

Additional assessment information

N/A

Indicative reassessment

Task	% of module mark
Essay/coursework	100.0

Module feedback

All formative and summative feedback will be returned in accordance with University and Departmental policy.

Indicative reading

Fish, W., 2021. Philosophy of Perception: A Contemporary Introduction. Routledge.