Browsing by Subject "art"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Is a picture really worth a thousand words? Some philosophical reflections on perceptual content
    (2002) Saliba, Ruth R
    The challenge presented by this paper is two fold; the first is to show that theories of perception ride a seesaw which is unsatisfactory, the second is to present a way to dismount the seesaw that these theories ride. The proposed dismount is suggested in the form of nonconceptual content of perceptual experiential states. In part A of the paper the seesaw metaphor is set up by showing that theories of perception concern themselves mainly with two questions. One of these questions is the epistemic question, which inquiries into the justificatory role played by perceptual experiential states. Such inquires conclude that the content of perceptual experiential states is conceptual. The other question is the descriptive question, which inquiries into the nature of perceptual experiential states. Such inquires conclude that the perceptual experiential states are not conceptual. The seesaw effect comes to play because theories of perception deal with the epistemic and the descriptive questions in isolation of each other. Part B of the paper shows how the theories of perception ride the seesaw. On the one side of the seesaw there are theories of perception that claim that perceptual experiential states are contentless. Bertrand Russell's account of sense-data is used to illustrate such theories. It is shown that while these theories are phenomenologically plausible they are incapable of accounting for the justificatory role perceptual experiential states need to play. On the other side of the seesaw there are theories of perception that claim that perceptual experiential states have content. The account of conceptualism by John McDowell is used to illustrate the position of such theories. These theories are inadequate in accounting for the phenomenological aspect of perceptual experiential states while they are able to account for the epistemological role played by perceptual states. This is what I call riding the seesaw. Riding the seesaw does not allow any room for progress for a theory of perception. Part C of this paper suggests a way of dismounting the seesaw by considering the notion of nonconceptual content of perceptual experiential states. The paper acknowledges that work is still necessary to sharpen the notion of nonconceptual content of perceptual states. However, nonconceptual content of perceptual experiential states is put forward as a better alternative in the light of the discussions in parts A andB.
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    Medicine and the Arts Week 2 - Me and TB: children's accounts of tuberculosis and the clinic
    (2015-01-21) Abney, Kate
    In this video, medical anthropologist Kate Abney shares some of the stories told by young patients in the tuberculosis (TB) wards of hospitals across South Africa’s Western Cape where she worked. She describes how she has helped to facilitate storytelling among young TB patients through art. This is the third video in Week 2 of the Medicine and the Arts Massive Open Online Course.
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    Medicine and the Arts Week 3 - Art and play
    (2015-01-21) Solms, Mark
    In this video, neuropsychologist Mark Solms explains how, from a neuroscientific perspective, our innate drive to play might be an underlying evolutionary mechanism for testing real world interactions. He suggests that art is then an expression of the human instinct to play and artistic expression offers society ways of creatively representing meaning. This is the fifth video in Week 3 of the Medicine and the Arts Massive Open Online Course.
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    Medicine and the Arts Week 5 - Art speaks to and from silence
    (2015-01-21) Reid, Steve; Dowling, Finuala; Baumann, Sean
    In this video, Professor Steve Reid continues his conversation with Finuala Downling and Sean Baumann about how art can be used to bring public attention to difficult and hidden areas of mental illness. Finuala discusses the methods he uses to catch her audiences attention and Sean talks about methods he uses to 'dislocate' the senses of his audience while emphasising the continued problem of stigma around mental illness. This is the fifth video in Week 5 of the Medicine and the Arts Massive Open Online Course.
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    Medicine and the Arts Week 5 - Insights into mental illness in art
    (2015-01-21) Reid, Steve
    In this video, Steve Reid introduces the topic of mental illness and art and how it will be explored through dialogue with two artists, Finuala Downling and Sean Baumann. This is the first video in Week 5 of the Medicine and the Arts Massive Open Online Course.
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    Medicine and the Arts Week 6 - Death and the corpse
    (2015-01-21) Levine, Susan
    In this video, Associate Professor Susan Levine introduces the topic of death and the corpse. She outlines how a multi-disciplinary approach will be used to address questions related to the topic and introduces the guest educators who will feature in subsequent videos: Professor Lorna Martin, a forensic pathologist. Professor Deborah Posel, a prominent sociologist. And Kathryn Smith, a fine and forensic artist from Stellenbosch University. This is the first video in Week 6 of the Medicine and the Arts Massive Open Online Course.
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    Sicily: island of cultural and artistic diversity
    (2012) Saunders, Edward
    Because of the Mafia's continuing grip on Sicily, the island's long and rich history is often overlooked. These audio lectures will be of interest to those who wish to learn more about the history of Italy and the cultural and aritistic diversity of this island, earlier known as Sicily.