Sensory Perceptions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Sensory Perceptions - Essay Example But what is also interesting is that the brain, rather than being a passive recipient of inputs also directs and conditions the other sense organs. This makes the brain the most powerful sense organ, for it can potentially control the flow and the meaning of information that is gathered through the five basis sensory inputs. There are several factors that determine the accuracy of sensory information. The quality of the information source is one and the health of the receiving sensory organ is another. The conduciveness of the medium of transmission is also a key factor. The way these three factors interact and compound is best illustrated through the example of listening to the radio. Thrown in this mix is the nature/nurture divide that adds complexity the problem of information acquisition. Nature plays a role in that the innate intelligence and modes of survival of the species (ex. carnivorous or herbivorous) determine the necessity for perceiving relative threats, opportunities, etc. In other words, the way animals are programmed to fight or flee and what to eat and what to shun determine their capacity for perceiving select information out of all the available data. Other factors such as health condition, age, etc all have a bearing on the efficiency and accuracy with which information is gathered through the senses. (Pomerantz, 2003) Philosophers since ancient times have grappled with the nature, scope and veracity of human knowledge. In fact, the philosophical discipline of epistemology concerns itself wholly to answering such questions. Epistemologists generally agree that human knowledge is largely a product of human sensory capabilities. In other words, our capacity for knowledge is limited by the range and depth of our sense faculties in receiving and interpreting data. Thus, understanding the roles of nature and nurture are essential to the epistemological analysis. To the extent that human beings are a product