Joshua Myers
Email: joshualmyers@gmail.com
Office Hours: Monday from 2:00-3:30 over Zoom (https://yorku.zoom.us/j/3907002154) or by
appointment.

Consider what it is like to see a red apple, to visualize a red apple, and to remember a red apple.
Although each of these experiences is a way of visually representing an apple, they are also importantly
different. For example, many have thought that perception is more vivid and forceful than
imagination, and it seems that while memory is restricted to representing the past, imagination is under
no such constraint. In this course, we will consider what cognitive science can teach us about the
similarities and differences between perception, imagination, and memory, with an eye towards
developing a better understanding of what they are and how they relate to each other.

There are no textbooks.

Requirements and Grading
Active Participation (15%): This class is heavily discussion-based. One of the best ways to practice
doing philosophy is by engaging in discussion and dialogue, and by working through difficult ideas
with your peers. Because of this, I expect students to attend and actively participate each class by
asking and answering questions, registering the ideas you are confused about, and engaging with the
points raised by your classmates. Reading responses and presentations are in place to help facilitate
informed and engaging discussion. Participation will be graded on both quantity and quality. Students
are allowed two unexcused absences. After that, any absences will need to be excused by a doctor’s
note or by university accommodation services or else will result in no credit for this category.
Five Reading Responses (25%): Students will turn in five 300-500 word reading responses. Each
reading response should focus on one reading and (1) clearly state the main thesis that the author
argues for, (2) summarize the main argument that the author gives for that thesis, (3) critically evaluate
the argument by raising an objection, working through a point that is unclear, responding to some of
its arguments, noting an interesting implication, or drawing a connection with another reading that we
have already done, and (4) ask one question that you felt confused about or would like some
clarification on. Students should not write a reading response on the paper that they are presenting.
My hope is that these reading responses will serve as a basis for class discussion, and as a potential
starting point for the final paper. Students can submit as many reading responses as they would like,
but only the five best responses will count towards this portion of the grade.
Presentation (15%): At the beginning of the course, students will sign up to present on one paper.
This will involve making a handout and spending 10-15 minutes summarizing and leading a discussion
on the reading. The handout should (i) clearly summarize the main points from the reading and (ii)
end with at least three questions that we can discuss as a class. Handouts should be submitted to the
instructor at least 24 hours before the scheduled presentation. Students should not write a reading
response on the paper that they are presenting.
Paper Outline (10%): Students should turn in an outline for their final paper. This outline should
include an abstract with a clear statement of the main thesis, an outline of the main argumentative
strategy, and a short review of the main literature that you will draw on. Students should turn these in
to the instructor for feedback, and also bring these outlines to class on 3/26, as a peer review session
will be held in which students will give feedback in pairs.
Final Paper (35%): Students will turn in a ~3500 word paper at the end of the course. The paper can
be on any question or topic that came up in the course and should substantively engage with at least
one course reading. Papers should develop an argument for some philosophical claim, and not merely
summarize existing literature.

Reading Schedule
Week 1: Course Introduction (January 8th)
No Reading
Unit 1: The Perception-Cognition Border
Week 2: Stimulus Dependence (January 15th)
Clarke & Beck “Border Disputes: Recent Debates along the Perception–Cognition Border”
Beck “Marking the Perception–Cognition Boundary: The Criterion of Stimulus-Dependence”
Week 3: Modularity (January 22nd)
Fodor “Modularity of Mind” Chapter 3
Deroy “Modularity of Perception”
Week 4: Format (January 29th)
Block “The Border Between Seeing and Thinking” Chapter 5
Quilty-Dunn “Perceptual Pluralism”
Unit 2: Imagination
Week 5: Are There Literally Mental Images? (February 5th)
Kosslyn, Thompson, & Ganis “The Case for Mental Imagery” Chapter 2
Langland-Hassan “The Imagery Debate Exhumed and Reanimated”
Week 6: Imagination in Perception (February 12th)
Nanay “Perception and imagination: amodal perception as mental imagery”
Lande & Green “Reconsidering the role of imagery in perception”
READING WEEK—NO CLASS (February 19th)
Week 7: Vividness (February 26th)
Kind “Imaginative Vividness”
Tooming & Miyazono “Vividness as a Natural Kind”
Dijkstra & Fleming “Subjective signal strength distinguishes reality from imagination”
Week 8: Dreams (March 5th)
Ichikawa “Dreaming and Imagination”
Whiteley “Aphantasia, Imagination, and Dreaming”
Unit 3: Memory
Week 9: Memory and Imagination: Simulationism (March 12th)
Michaelian “Mental Time Travel” Chapters 4 and 6
Week 10: Memory and Imagination: Against Simulationism (March 19th)
Robins “Defending Discontinuism Naturally”
De Brigard “Simulationism and Memory Traces”
Week 11: Memory and Perception (March 26th)
Paper Outline Due. In-Class Peer Review Session.
Munton “How to See Invisible Objects”
Green “Can We Perceive the Past?”
Megla & Bainbridge “The Interaction of Perception and Memory”
Week 12: Metacognition (April 2nd)
Perrin et al. “The Phenomenology of Remembering is an Epistemic Feeling”
Teng “A Metacognitive Account of Phenomenal Force”

(1) Gain an understanding of contemporary debates in philosophy and cognitive science about
the relationship between perception, imagination, and memory.
(2) Learn about empirical approaches to studying the mind, and about how empirical results can
inform philosophical theorizing.
(3) Practice reading and critically evaluating philosophical texts.
(4) Enhance philosophical writing skills.
(5) Develop original viewpoints and evaluate arguments through discussion

Course Policies
Email:
I am available over email to answer questions, schedule meetings, and whatever else. When
emailing me, please respect the following policies:
• I will do my best to respond within one business day. Please wait at least two business days
before sending me a follow-up email.
• Include “PHIL 4082” in your email subject line; this helps me sort through things.
• If you email me a question whose answer is stated explicitly in the syllabus, I will reply to
you with, “please see the syllabus.”
• If you email me with a question whose answer may be relevant to many students, or if I get
several emails with the same question, I may post a course announcement instead of replying
to you directly.
Office Hours:
These are dedicated hours in which I am available to talk to students! Come with
questions about course content, assignments, research, academic life, or whatever else.
• I will be in my office to talk; if you need to meet over Zoom instead, let me know and we
can meet in my zoom room.
• If you would like to chat but can’t make my scheduled office hours, talk to me and we’ll set
up another time over Zoom.
Late Assignments:
If you need an extension on an out-of-class assignment, you must request it from me at least 48 hours
ahead of the official deadline. You do not have an extension until it has been approved by me in
writing. Assignments submitted late without an extension will be penalized at a rate of one-third letter
grade per day 24 hours.
Accommodations:
If you need accommodations for this course because of a disability, let me know in the first week of
class so that we can arrange things through Accessibility Services.
AI Use:
Use of AI and LLMs (like Chat-GPT) is not permitted in this class. Use of these technologies on any
graded assignments or during class activities will be treated as an academic integrity violation. Use of
AI for graded assignments will be treated as cheating and will be reported to the university. Use of AI
for non-graded in-class activities is also prohibited (unless permission to use this is explicitly given in
the context of an activity). The point of these activities is to help you practice thinking; you waste
everyone’s time if you outsource that to an LLM. Using LLMs/AIs to do in-class activities will result
in a significant penalty to your participation grade.
Academic Integrity:
You are responsible for knowing university policies regarding academic dishonesty. In addition to the
usual (you are not allowed to collaborate, use technology, or cheat in other ways during in-class
assignments), you are also not allowed to upload course content, your own notes, or your own written
work to note-sharing sites of any kind. Violations of academic integrity will be taken to the university.
Technology Policy:
You are permitted to use computers or tablets during class. However, note the following:
• You must stay on class-relevant content. If I see you using your devices for non-course
content, your technology privileges may be revoked and you will be required to do
everything with good-old printing and pen-and-paper.
• No cell phones or other devices are permitted during class active time.
• I encourage you to print out readings and take in-class notes by hand. I am not requiring this. But I
strongly believe (and this is backed up by research!) that technology in the classroom can be a
significant detriment to focus and information retention.
Grade Scale:
We will use standard York grading scale, available here:
https://calendars.students.yorku.ca/2025-2026/grades-and-grading-schemes
Miscellaneous:
• Course materials: All readings and materials will be available on the course website. You do not need
to buy anything.
• Philosophy resources: Check out the course website for resources about reading philosophy,
participating in philosophy classes, and other similar things.
• Reach out! If there’s a problem, I can’t help you if I don’t know about it. The earlier you reach out
to me about any difficulties that arise for you during the semester, the more easily we can work
together to find a solution. I want to do what I can to support you this term, and if you need things
that are beyond my ability to deal with, I am happy to help figure out what campus resources there
might be for you.