11/3 & 11/411/3 & 11/4 Do Now: Take out your TOK Do Now: Take out your TOK

ESSAY!!!!ESSAY!!!!

Make sure your NAME & TITLE are at Make sure your NAME & TITLE are at the top!!!! the top!!!!

11/3 & 11/411/3 & 11/4Sense PerceptionSense Perception

In your JOURNAL answer the following In your JOURNAL answer the following question:question:

What do you think of when you hear the word “sense”?What do you think of when you hear the word “sense”? If for some reason you had to sacrifice one of your If for some reason you had to sacrifice one of your

senses, which would you be most willing to lose and senses, which would you be most willing to lose and which would you be least willing to lose? Give reasons.which would you be least willing to lose? Give reasons.

Do you think that perception is a more important source Do you think that perception is a more important source of knowledge in some subjects rather than others? Are of knowledge in some subjects rather than others? Are there any areas of knowledge in which it plays no role?there any areas of knowledge in which it plays no role?

TOK: Ways of TOK: Ways of KnowingKnowing

Sense PerceptionSense PerceptionLong before we have learned how to use language or our powers of reason or be anything like in control of our emotions, we are able to make use of our senses, and so it seems apt to start our exploration of the four ways of knowing with sense perception. 

Sense PerceptionSense Perception Can be defined as the awareness of Can be defined as the awareness of

things through our five senses – things through our five senses – sight, sound, touch, taste, & smellsight, sound, touch, taste, & smell

These are the gates and windows of These are the gates and windows of the mindthe mind

EmpiricismEmpiricism One major school of philosophy One major school of philosophy

known as empiricism states all known as empiricism states all knowledge is ultimately based on knowledge is ultimately based on perceptual experienceperceptual experience

This is extremeThis is extreme But think of the role played by But think of the role played by

observation through sciences, arts, observation through sciences, arts, and history and history

Common Sense RealismCommon Sense Realism

It is a passive and relatively It is a passive and relatively straightforward process which straightforward process which gives us an accurate picture gives us an accurate picture of reality of reality

Other Senses…Other Senses… Kinesthetic sense: awareness of Kinesthetic sense: awareness of

one’s own body movements and one’s own body movements and dimensionsdimensions

Vestibular sense: balanceVestibular sense: balance Organic sense: the ‘call of nature’, Organic sense: the ‘call of nature’,

hunger, thirst, etc.hunger, thirst, etc. And we’re only talking about And we’re only talking about

humans!humans!

Are you the same person you were Are you the same person you were yesterdayyesterday

Will you be the same person Will you be the same person tomorrowtomorrow

Sense Perception is an importantSense Perception is an importantdimension of our understanding of dimension of our understanding of

thetheWorldWorld The channel of communication The channel of communication

between ourselves and the outside between ourselves and the outside worldworld

Its function and scope should be Its function and scope should be examined and critically evaluatedexamined and critically evaluated

Perception can be thought of Perception can be thought of consisting of two distinct partsconsisting of two distinct parts

• Sensation:Sensation: The part provided by the The part provided by the world around usworld around us

• InterpretationInterpretation: The part provided by : The part provided by our mindsour minds

Our experience of the world isOur experience of the world isaffected not only by what is affected not only by what is

‘out‘outthere’ but also by there’ but also by our sense our sense

organs organs AND AND our mindsour minds

Hermann von Hermann von Helmholtz’s on SightHelmholtz’s on Sight

We convert the shaky and rather We convert the shaky and rather inaccurate pictures generated by our inaccurate pictures generated by our eyes into something that makes eyes into something that makes sense based on our understanding of sense based on our understanding of the world.the world.

Gestalt TheoryGestalt Theory We make a ‘best fit’ of images created by We make a ‘best fit’ of images created by

our eyes, and added that we do so by our eyes, and added that we do so by perceiving the whole, rather than little bits perceiving the whole, rather than little bits of the object we are looking at of the object we are looking at individually. individually.

We do this unconsciously and very quickly. We do this unconsciously and very quickly. The phrase stating that, ‘the whole is The phrase stating that, ‘the whole is

greater than the sum of its parts’ is greater than the sum of its parts’ is associated with Gestalt psychology.associated with Gestalt psychology.

THE EYE IS SIMPLY A THE EYE IS SIMPLY A WINDOWS TO OUR BRAIN, WINDOWS TO OUR BRAIN, WE ACTUALLY USE OUR WE ACTUALLY USE OUR

BRAIN TO SEEBRAIN TO SEE

A quarter of our brain is used to process information that is taken in by your eyes.

Predators have both eyes facing the front for a better vision to catch their pray

Herbivores have eyes more on the side of their head for a peripheral view for their safety

Some people (only males) are colour blind, they can’t determine the difference between reds and blues, and others can’t see any colour

Some people cant see motion, they see an image every few seconds.

OPTICAL ILLUSIONSOPTICAL ILLUSIONS

TOK Activity TOK Activity http://www.yourfavoritewebsite.net/T

OK/WaysOfKnowing/Perception/index.htm

How many times does the team How many times does the team wearing white shirts pass the wearing white shirts pass the basketball? Count carefully. basketball? Count carefully.

Keith Barry: Brain magic

Sense Perception AssignmentSense Perception AssignmentTitle – What role does perception play Title – What role does perception play in different areas of knowledge in different areas of knowledge

– Knowledge Knowledge Question:Question:

– ThesisThesis– Claim Claim – ExplainExplain– ExampleExample– Counter ClaimCounter Claim– ExampleExample– Connect Back KQConnect Back KQ

– Claim (2)Claim (2)– ExplainExplain– ExampleExample– Counter Claim Counter Claim

(2)(2)– ExampleExample– Connect Back KQConnect Back KQ

BRING YOUR BLINDFOLDS NEXT BRING YOUR BLINDFOLDS NEXT CLASS!!!CLASS!!!

IMPORTANCE AND LIMITATIONS OF SENSE IMPORTANCE AND LIMITATIONS OF SENSE PERCEPTIONPERCEPTION

   The following questions may help The following questions may help students become aware of the nature students become aware of the nature

and power of sense perception.and power of sense perception.

To what extent do our senses give us To what extent do our senses give us knowledge of the world as it really is?knowledge of the world as it really is?

What is the role of culture and language What is the role of culture and language in the perceptual process? in the perceptual process?

Given the partially subjective nature of Given the partially subjective nature of sense perception, how can different sense perception, how can different ‘‘knowersknowers’’ ever agree on what is perceived? ever agree on what is perceived?