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Perception and action

alternative views

Susan Hurley

pp. 3-40

Abstract

A traditional view of perception and action makestwo assumptions: that the causal flow betweenperception and action is primarily linear or one-way,and that they are merely instrumentally related toeach other, so that each is a means to the other.Either or both of these assumptions can be rejected.Behaviorism rejects the instrumental but not theone-way aspect of the traditional view, thus leavingitself open to charges of verificationism. Ecologicalviews reject the one-way aspect but not theinstrumental aspect of the traditional view, so thatperception and action are seen as instrumentallyinterdependent. It is argued here that a betteralternative is to reject both assumptions, resultingin a two-level interdependence view in whichperception and action co-depend on dynamicallycircular subpersonal relations and as a result may bemore than merely instrumentally interdependent. Thisis illustrated by reference to motor theories ofperception and control theories of action.

Publication details

Published in:

(2001) Synthese 129 (1).

Pages: 3-40

DOI: 10.1023/A:1012643006930

Full citation:

Hurley Susan (2001) „Perception and action: alternative views“. Synthese 129 (1), 3–40.