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The Epistemology of Colour Vision. This project will advance knowledge on the important traditional philosophical topic of colour and colour perception by drawing both on philosophical and scientific sources. The problem of colour is one to which Australian philosophy has made seminal contribution. For this reason, this project will continue to develop an Australian expertise in the area and help to make Australia a world centre of research in the area.
Understanding phenomenal experience as a natural part of our world. The natural sciences?physics, chemistry and biology?provide compelling accounts of our world. They contain, however, no overt mention of mental states and in particular the mental states with a phenomenology: states like itches and colour experiences. The challenge for naturalists is locate these states within the naturalist picture. This project develops and draws on representationalist accounts of mind to explain how to locate ....Understanding phenomenal experience as a natural part of our world. The natural sciences?physics, chemistry and biology?provide compelling accounts of our world. They contain, however, no overt mention of mental states and in particular the mental states with a phenomenology: states like itches and colour experiences. The challenge for naturalists is locate these states within the naturalist picture. This project develops and draws on representationalist accounts of mind to explain how to locate mental states that have a phenomenology within the naturalist's picture. This will yield new perspectives on the mental lives of machines.Read moreRead less
Conscious Experience and the Hegemony of Representation. Many things make humans special but three stand out: the possession of a moral sense, rationality, and consciousness. This project aims to explain consciousness in a way fully comppatible with the aspirations of cognitive science to see humans as a natural part of the physical world.
Idealism and the objectivity of norms and values: a neglected path from the eighteenth century. The problem of understanding how norms and values can be objective within the modern, secular scientific worldview became a focus of European philosophical concern in the early modern period - it is now of vital practical concern for the community as a whole. From the perspective of modern culture, both high and low, individuals are often portrayed as facing a choice between individual gratification a ....Idealism and the objectivity of norms and values: a neglected path from the eighteenth century. The problem of understanding how norms and values can be objective within the modern, secular scientific worldview became a focus of European philosophical concern in the early modern period - it is now of vital practical concern for the community as a whole. From the perspective of modern culture, both high and low, individuals are often portrayed as facing a choice between individual gratification and a self-less commitment to values or norms which cannot be rationally justified. By showing this to be a false dichotomy, this project promises a way beyond this impasse.Read moreRead less
Concepts and Conceptual Change. Aim: To develop a new theory of conceptual change that explains how a concept can change considerably, while still remaining in a crucial sense the very same concept.
Significance: All areas of philosophy need to solve this problem so as to distinguish between real and merely verbal disputes. There is no adequate solution to this long standing problem.
Outcomes: A general solution to the problem, with applications to areas including ethics, philosophy of con ....Concepts and Conceptual Change. Aim: To develop a new theory of conceptual change that explains how a concept can change considerably, while still remaining in a crucial sense the very same concept.
Significance: All areas of philosophy need to solve this problem so as to distinguish between real and merely verbal disputes. There is no adequate solution to this long standing problem.
Outcomes: A general solution to the problem, with applications to areas including ethics, philosophy of consciousness, metaphysics and political theory.
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A model of the mind which explains the role of emotions in normal cognition and affective disorder. Depression is recognised as one of the most burdensome diseases in Australia. Though we of course make no claims, as philosophers, to cure depression our contribution is to engage philosophy productively with a vital national area of empirical research. The other area of national benefit is to consolidate Australia's developing reputation as a site for the involvement of philosophy in interdiscipl ....A model of the mind which explains the role of emotions in normal cognition and affective disorder. Depression is recognised as one of the most burdensome diseases in Australia. Though we of course make no claims, as philosophers, to cure depression our contribution is to engage philosophy productively with a vital national area of empirical research. The other area of national benefit is to consolidate Australia's developing reputation as a site for the involvement of philosophy in interdisciplinary projects which link the humanities to the sciences. Furthermore, with the project's anchoring in the humanities, there is hope that a focus on, and increased understanding of, depression will have flow-on effects in the Australian community that will help ease the stigmatisation that is still felt by many of its sufferers.Read moreRead less
Perception, interpretation, and the explanation of delusional beliefs. The occurrence of bizarrely false beliefs, called delusions, presents challenges, not only for clinical psychiatric practice, but also for psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy. The aim of this project is to make a distinctively philosophical contribution to our understanding of delusional beliefs by addressing three philosophical questions raised by the study of delusions, questions about perception, interpretation, and e ....Perception, interpretation, and the explanation of delusional beliefs. The occurrence of bizarrely false beliefs, called delusions, presents challenges, not only for clinical psychiatric practice, but also for psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy. The aim of this project is to make a distinctively philosophical contribution to our understanding of delusional beliefs by addressing three philosophical questions raised by the study of delusions, questions about perception, interpretation, and explanation. Answers to these questions will constitute substantial contributions to three central areas of philosophy, but their significance also extends beyond philosophy. They will impact on the scientific investigation of delusions and will contribute indirectly to the treatment and rehabilitation of sufferers.
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Checking the validity of photographic identification documents: Enhancing the performance of security personnel through increased understanding of unfamiliar face processing. The ability to accurately establish the identity of an individual is central to the national security of Australia. Identity checking often relies on facial photographs contained on passports and other documents. Despite the introduction of automated systems, the decision whether a photograph is of a person rests with human ....Checking the validity of photographic identification documents: Enhancing the performance of security personnel through increased understanding of unfamiliar face processing. The ability to accurately establish the identity of an individual is central to the national security of Australia. Identity checking often relies on facial photographs contained on passports and other documents. Despite the introduction of automated systems, the decision whether a photograph is of a person rests with human operators. Research by CI has demonstrated that this task is difficult and error prone. The proposed research seeks to improve performance by developing a fuller understanding of the nature of the task and the limits of the operators' abilities and by testing possible training and selection procedures.Read moreRead less
Belief singular versus beliefs plural. Research on the brain and how it represents the environment has the potential to reconfigure our ordinary conceptions of belief and rationality. This project explores the impact of the changes and their implications.
The God of Hegel's Post-Kantian Idealism. Recently both philosophical and popular debates over the role of religion in modern society have, like earlier debates from the 18th century, been marked by a commitment to philosophical realism. In the largely neglected "idealist" tradition of the nineteenth century, such disputes were cast in a different light. By developing an idealist conception of God, using contemporary philosophical resources, this project aims to offer a way of thinking about the ....The God of Hegel's Post-Kantian Idealism. Recently both philosophical and popular debates over the role of religion in modern society have, like earlier debates from the 18th century, been marked by a commitment to philosophical realism. In the largely neglected "idealist" tradition of the nineteenth century, such disputes were cast in a different light. By developing an idealist conception of God, using contemporary philosophical resources, this project aims to offer a way of thinking about the role of religion in human life that avoids the primacy of the question of belief in God as well as antagonistic conceptions of religious differences.Read moreRead less