The metaphysics of perception: enactivism, phenomenology and information.

Abstract

Enactivism is a major research programme in the philosophy of perception. Yet its metaphysical status is unclear, since it is claimed to avoid both idealism and realism yet still has aspects of both within it. One attempt to solve this conundrum is based on the fusion of enactivism with phenomenology and the mathematical concept of symmetry breaking (Moss Brender, 2013). I suggest this is not entirely successful and propose it needs the addition of a multi-level, non-reductive metaphysics (for example, Informational Structural Realism). The processes we commonly call ‘perception’ are causal transfers of information at certain levels in the hierarchy of meaningful structures that comprise physical reality. Phenomenologists could use the word ‘perception’ metaphorically across all levels, although realists need not do so.

George Orwell, objectivity, and the reality behind illusions

“…Claim (b) may then be proposed to avoid the pitfalls of idealism immanent in claim (a) (e.g. Sebold, 2014;Sparrow, 2014;Rose, 2021). Surveys of scientific researchers (Rose, 2018b(Rose, , 2019a have also found some that say veridical perception is impossible because our senses are too limited-though it is not clear whether they think reality lies entirely beyond those limits or only in part (i.e.…”

“…10) calls basic reality 'consciousness' or a network of conscious agents. While I have some sympathy with panpsychism (Skrbina, 2009;Alter & Nagasawa, 2015;Brüntrup & Jaskolla, 2017;Seager, 2020;Rose, 2021), the word 'consciousness' in this context has to be so qualified that it can be very misleading to apply it to this level. It may make sense to say one bit of information can become quantum-entangled with another (or comprises such an entanglement), but this is very far from being an explanation of consciousness-as-we-know-it.…”

“…Chakravartty, 2007). Without going into these alternatives, I am here presenting 'informational structural realism', in which the structures or patterns are information (see also Rose, 2021). Thus:…”

Perceiving the weird and the wonderful. The mysterious metaphysics of phenomenology, art and science.

“…Nowadays, isomorphism of structure may also be a key measure (e.g. Ladyman & Ross, 2007;Floridi, 2011;French, 2014;Rose, 2021).…”

“…I review enactivism (embodiment, embeddedness) and its relationship to phenomenology in detail elsewhere(Rose, 2021).…”