Episode 138: Guest John Searle on Perception
The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast
Mark Linsenmayer
4.6 • 2.3K Ratings
🗓️ 25 April 2016
⏱️ 114 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
We interview John about Seeing Things As They Are (2015). What is perception? Searle says that it's not a matter of seeing a representation, which is then related to things in the real world. We see the actual objects, with no mediation. But then how can there be illusions? Well, it's complicated, but not too complicated, just some funny terminology that this episode will teach you.
Searle lays out his theory for us and amusingly dismisses much of the history of philosophy in the first half, and then Mark, Wes, and Dylan continue the discussion to make sure we understood what was just said and chase down some threads of the conversation.
End song: "Flesh and Blood" from The MayTricks' Happy Songs Will Bring You Down (1994).
We interview John about Seeing Things As They Are (2015). What is perception? Searle says that it's not a matter of seeing a representation, which is then related to things in the real world. We see the actual objects, with no mediation. But then how can there be illusions? Well, it's complicated, but not too complicated, just some funny terminology that this episode will teach you.
Transcript
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| 0:23.0 | Now please enjoy the show. |
| 0:31.0 | You're listening to the partially examined life, |
| 0:34.0 | a philosophy podcast by some guys who had one point set on doing philosophy for a living, |
| 0:37.8 | but then thought better of it. |
| 0:39.3 | Our question for episode 138 is, |
| 0:41.4 | what is perception? |
| 0:42.7 | And we read, seeing things as they are, |
| 0:44.5 | a theory of perception by John Surrell, |
| 0:46.4 | published in 2015, |
| 0:48.3 | and we're going to have him on as a guest. |
| 0:50.6 | You can join the discussion, get the text, |
| 0:52.0 | and lots more information at partiallyexaminalife.com. |
| 0:54.8 | This is Mark Linton-Meier, |
| 0:56.2 | probably not hallucinating in Madison, Wisconsin. |
... |
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