Abstract

GAMBOA, Lydia Deni. William of Ockham and Adam of Wodeham on the Role of the Will in Attention, Visual Effort and the Intensification of a Vision. Scripta Mediaevalia [online]. 2023, vol.16, n.1, pp.71-96.  Epub Aug 22, 2023. ISSN 1851-8753.  http://dx.doi.org/10.48162/rev.35.025.

William of Ockham and Adam of Wodeham hold different theories to explain how perceptual contents change and adapt to changes of the perceived object. Content changes occur in cases where there is (i) attention, (ii) visual effort or (iii) the intensification of a vision. Ockham’s theory of this subject involves the idea that the intellect is passive, but can perform with the help of the will. Ockham’s account leads to what I call the loop problem, since for him the will can only want what the intellect is aware of. Wodeham seems to notice this problem and, for this reason, departs from Ockham’s theory of perceptual content change. Wodeham’s account does not involve the will. For Wodeham perceptual content change depends only on the variability of the perceptual field.

Keywords : William of Ockham; Adam of Wodeham; representational contents; passivity of the intellect; will.

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