"What was Molyneux's Question A Question About?"

Molyneux asked whether a newly sighted person could distinguish a sphere from a cube by sight alone, given that she was antecedently able to do so by touch. This, we contend, is a question about general ideas. To answer it, we must ask (a) whether spatial locations identified by touch can be identified also by sight, and (b) whether the integration of spatial locations into an idea of shape persists through changes of modality. Posed this way, Molyneux’s Question goes substantially beyond question (a), about spatial locations, alone; for a positive answer to (a) leaves open whether a perceiver might cross-identify locations, but not be able to identify the shapes that collections of locations comprise. We further emphasize that MQ targets general ideas so as to distinguish it from corresponding questions about experiences of shape and about the property of tangible (vs. visual) shape. After proposing a generalized formulation of MQ, we extend earlier work (“Many Molyneux Questions,” Australasian Journal of Philosophy 2020) by showing that MQ does not admit a single answer across the board. Some integrative data-processes transfer across modalities; others do not. Seeing where and how such transfer succeeds and fails in individual cases has much to offer to our understanding of perception and its modalities

What was Molyneux's Question A Question About?

Molyneux asked whether a newly sighted person could distinguish a sphere from a cube by sight alone, given that she was antecedently able to do so by touch. This, we contend, is a question about general ideas. To answer it, we must ask (a) whether spatial locations identified by touch can be identified also by sight, and (b) whether the integration of spatial locations into an idea of shape persists through changes of modality. Posed this way, Molyneux’s Question goes substantially beyond question (a), about spatial locations, alone; for a positive answer to (a) leaves open whether a perceiver might cross-identify locations, but not be able to identify the shapes that collections of locations comprise. We further emphasize that MQ targets general ideas so as to distinguish it from corresponding questions about experiences of shape and about the property of tangible (vs. visual) shape. After proposing a generalized formulation of MQ, we extend earlier work (“Many Molyneux Questions,” Australasian Journal of Philosophy 2020) by showing that MQ does not admit a single answer across the board. Some integrative data-processes transfer across modalities; others do not. Seeing where and how such transfer succeeds and fails in individual cases has much to offer to our understanding of perception and its modalities

A question of scale

If you search for 'collective behaviour' with your web browser most of the texts popping up will be about group activities of humans, including riots, fashion and mass panic. Nevertheless, collective behaviour is also considered to be an important aspect of observed phenomena in atoms and molecules, for example, during spontaneous magnetization. In your web search, you might also find articles on collectively migrating bacteria, insects or birds; or phenomena where groups of organisms or non- living objects synchronize their signals or motion (think of fireflies flashing in unison or people clapping in phase during rhythmic applause).Comment: Concepts essay, published in Nature http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v411/n6836/full/411421a0.htm

A Question of Coherence

open1noElectromagnetic waves were first postulated by James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879) in 1865. To demonstrate their existence 22 years later, Heinrich Hertz (1857-1894) had to design new instrumentation that he used to carry out an experiment than had never been performed before. To detect the waves produced by his oscillating electric circuit, he used a very crude receiver, subsequently known as the Hertz resonator.openGuarnieri, MassimoGuarnieri, Massim

A Question of Timing

US labour law violates ILO standards not at the margins, but at the core