Gödel's Analysis of the concept of Perception

Abstract

In this paper we present some aspects of Gödel’s ideas on perception. It is our aim to show that Gödel’s parallel between sensible and rational perception, and also his views on the latter, corresponds to an analysis of the concept of perception. In the first section we present the gödelian analogy between sensible and rational perception, stressing that this comparison takes into account their status of access relation to entities. From that we argue, in section two, that there is an analysis of the concept of perception underlying the analogy. This underlying analysis views the concept of perception as a general or formal concept of a relation of access, from which both sensible and rational perception are particular cases. We claim that this analysis fits more with the ordinary use of the concept than would seem at first glance.