May, 2023 10

EXRE Colloquium: Antoine Bonzon’s talk

Speaker: Antoine Bonzon

Date & Time: Wed., 10 May 2023, 17:15-19:00.

Location

  1. Davood Bahjat Fumani

    Dear all,

    I hope this email finds you all well. I wanted to share with you the abstract and suggested readings for Antoine’s upcoming talk on Wednesday. Antoine recommends reading the first part of his thesis’s third chapter and sections I and II of Chirimuuta’s article on reflectance physicalism. Please find the files’ link included in this email.

    We will send you the handout tomorrow. See you on Wednesday!

    Best,
    Davood

    The third chapter: “https://www.dropbox.com/s/rnfzug85xwz0zo9/Third%20chapter%20-%20text.docx?dl=0”
    Chirimuuta’s article: “https://www.dropbox.com/s/yx8o300ejjjt0yv/2008%20Chirimuuta.pdf?dl=0”

    Abstract for Antoine’s talk:
    “Reflectance physicalism is one of the prominent realist color ontologies, according to which colors are identical with the particular ways objects have of reflecting light, that is, with their surface spectral reflectances. Hilbert and, later on, Byrne are the original defendants of the view. They have argued that it is inter alia supported by the results of the research on a particular perceptual phenomenon, namely, color constancy. More specifically, they have argued that the empirical and theoretical success of theories of color constancy endorsing reverse optics speaks in favor of reflectance physicalism. It has apparently been assumed, by them and by one of their critics, Chirimuuta, that theories of color constancy can support reflectance physicalism only to the extent that they first adhere to the thesis of reflectance recovery. According to the latter, the visual system, as part of its natural functioning, computes estimates of the surface spectral reflectances of the surfaces present in the field of view. In this chapter, I try and nuance this assumption and intend to show that the thesis of reflectance recovery is not an essential component of a theory of color constancy which can be seen as supporting reflectance physicalism. On the other hand, at least some theories can be showed to support reflectance physicalism even though they reject the thesis of reflectance recovery.”