Empty Space, Silence, and Absence. Issue 7 (25th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gow, Laura
• Is Part Of: Canadian journal of philosophy. Volume 51:Issue 7(2021)
• Page Start: 496
• Page End: 507
• Publication Date: 2021-10-25
• Subjects: Perception -- perceptual experience -- cognitive phenomenology -- absence -- silence -- empty space; Philosophy -- Periodicals; 105
• DOI: 10.1017/can.2022.9
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0045-5091

Abstract

Abstract: The idea that we can perceive absences is becoming increasingly popular in contemporary philosophy of mind, and seeing empty space and hearing silence are alleged to be two paradigmatic examples. In this paper, I remain neutral over the question of whether empty space experiences and experiences of silence are genuinely perceptual phenomena, however, I argue that these experiences do not qualify as absence experiences. Consequently, our experiences of empty space and silence cannot be appealed to as proof of the perceptual view of absence experience.