Table Of ContentOUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,31/10/2013,SPi
Between Perception and Action
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,31/10/2013,SPi
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,31/10/2013,SPi
Between Perception
and Action
Bence Nanay
1
OUPCORRECTEDPROOF–FINAL,31/10/2013,SPi
3
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To Felicitas
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Contents
Acknowledgements ix
1. Introduction 1
1.1 Theicingandthecake 1
1.2 Pragmaticrepresentations 3
1.3 Productdifferentiation 7
2. PragmaticRepresentations 13
2.1 Mediatingbetweensensoryinputandmotoroutput 13
2.2 Theimmediatementalantecedentsofactions 15
2.3 Thedirectionoffit 19
2.4 Pragmaticrepresentationsareperceptualstates 21
2.5 Theargument 23
2.6 Potentialcounterexamples 28
2.7 Pragmaticrepresentationseverywhere 31
3. Perception 33
3.1 Arethereperceptualrepresentationsatall? 33
3.2 Perceptuallyattributedproperties 36
3.3 Sensoryindividuals 49
3.4 Pragmaticrepresentationsandthedorsalvisualsubsystem 62
4. Action 67
4.1 Belief–desirepsychologyanditsdiscontents 67
4.2 Naturalizingactiontheory 75
4.3 Semi-actions 81
4.4 Thelastrefugeofthebelief–desiremodel 86
5. PragmaticMentalImagery 102
5.1 Mentalimagery 102
5.2 Mentalimageryversusperception 105
5.3 Pragmaticmentalimagery 111
5.4 Pretense 115
5.5 Aliefs 121
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viii contents
6. VicariousPerception 130
6.1 Vicariousperception 130
6.2 Vicariousperceptionversustheoryofmind 134
6.3 Vicariousperceptioninthecognitivesciences 141
6.4 Vicariousemotions 153
6.5 Vicariousperception:thefirststeptowardsdecoupled
representation 165
References 168
Index 201
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Acknowledgements
Thisbookisaboutperception,action,andwhat’sinbetween.It’sabout
the whole mind, in other words. It is written for philosophers, but not
only for philosophers: it is also for psychologists or other empirical
researchers of the mind with theoretical interests, as well as people
who are just interested in understanding how the human mind works
andhowitisverysimilartoanimalminds.
Istartedexploringthecentralclaimsofthisbookalmost20yearsago.
Asfarasmyphilosophicalattentiondeficitdisorderallowed,Ihavebeen
pursuingtheseclaimseversince.In1995,Ipublishedaverybadpaperin
a psychology journal on how we should reject Gibson’s views about
perceptionwhilepreservingtheinsightabouttheaction-orientednature
ofperception.ThenIwroteastillprettybadMPhilthesisatCambridge
University on the “special” mental states that mediate between sensory
input and motor output, and then an only slightly better PhD at the
University of California, Berkeley on action-oriented perception. I am
grateful to my various teachers and colleagues throughout these years
(andadmiretheirpatience)fornotdiscouragingmefrompursuingthis
project,givenhowunconvincingsomeofmyargumentsreallywere.The
hopeisthattheargumentsinthisbookaremuchmoreconvincing.
GiventhatIhavebeentalkingtophilosophers,psychologists,etholo-
gists,andneuroscientistsaboutthetopicofthisbookfornearly20years,
there is no way I canremember everyonewhohelped mewiththinking
moreclearlyaboutthetopicofthebook,orevenprovidedwrittencom-
mentsonearlierwritten-upversionsofsomeoftheideasinthebook.So
Iwon’teventry—ifItried,Iwould,nodoubt,leaveoutmanypeople.But
Iamespeciallygratefultothosewhoreadthewholepenultimateversionof
the manuscript and provided detailed feedback: Jonathan Cohen, two
anonymous referees from Oxford University Press, and my postdocs,
MajaSpener,CarolynDiceyJennings,WillDavies,andCraigFrench.
Various parts of the book were presented at the following symposia,
conferences, and workshops: American Philosophical Association,
Pacific Division (San Diego), Annual Conference of the Cognitive
Science Society (Vancouver), American Philosophical Association,
