The Scope and Limits of Enactive Theories of Visual Experience

The enactive conception, developed by the philosopher Alva Noë in his book, Action in Perception, is an important contribution to the study of visual perception. However, I first argue that it is unclear (at best) whether, as the enactivists claim, work on change blindness supports the denial of the existence of detailed visual representations. Second, I elaborate on what Noë calls the ‘puzzle of perceptual presence’. Thirdly, I question the enactivist account of perceptual constancy. Finally, I draw attention to the tensions between enactivism and two trends in cognitive neuroscience: the two-visual systems model of human vision and the theory of internal forward models of action.