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Single Idea 8897

[filed under theme 12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 8. Adverbial Theory ]

Full Idea

The adverbial account of the content of experience is almost certainly correct, because no account can be given of the relation between sense-data and the apprehending mind that is independent of the adverbial theory.

Gist of Idea

The adverbial account will still be needed when a mind apprehends its sense-data

Source

Laurence Bonjour (A Version of Internalist Foundationalism [2003], 5.1 n3)

Book Ref

Bonjour,L/Sosa,E: 'Epistemic Justification' [Blackwells 2003], p.78


A Reaction

This boils down to the usual objection to sense-data, which is 'cut out the middle man'. Bonjour is right that at some point the mind has finally to experience whatever is coming in, and it must experience it in a particular way.


The 12 ideas with the same theme [qualities are not objects but ways in which a perception occurs]:

'I feel depressed' is more like 'he runs slowly' than like 'he has a red book' [Chisholm]
If we can say a man senses 'redly', why not also 'rectangularly'? [Chisholm]
So called 'sense-data' are best seen as 'modifications' of the person experiencing them [Chisholm]
The adverbial account of sensation says not 'see a red image' but be 'appeared to redly' [Shoemaker]
The adverbial account will still be needed when a mind apprehends its sense-data [Bonjour]
'Sense redly' sounds peculiar, but 'senses redly-squarely tablely' sounds far worse [Robinson,H]
Adverbialism sees the contents of sense-experience as modes, not objects [Robinson,H]
If there are only 'modes' of sensing, then an object can no more be red or square than it can be proud or lazy. [Robinson,H]
The adverbial theory of perceptions says it is the experiences which have properties, not the objects [Crane]
How could one paraphrase very complex sense-data reports adverbially? [Lowe]
Mountains are adverbial modifications of the earth, but still have object-characteristics [Maund]
Adverbialism tries to avoid sense-data and preserve direct realism [Maund]