Location: online via Zoom
Time: 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm (CET)

Prof. Dr. Johannes Haag (Professor of Theoretical Philosophy, University of Potsdam)

The Indexical Roots of Spatial Cognition

The lecture develops a philosophical proposal concerning how place-based spatial cognition emerges from a more fundamental, non-propositional form of feature thinking. Places are understood as originally identity-constituting entities that remain the same across changing perceptual contents and perspectives. These conditions of identity cannot be derived through the mere enrichment of perception-based information; rather, they presuppose a new symbolic practice: the contrastive use of the indexicals “here” and “there,” which ultimately enables the introduction of a proto-concept of places that can subsequently be expanded into a “mature” concept of places within (infinite) space. Only on the basis of this symbolic practice can a concept of identity ultimately be achieved of the kind that is always already presupposed in propositional thought. The emergence of places thus proves to be the origin of singular reference and a key condition for propositional thinking as such.

The colloquium will be held in German.

Zoom access information:

https://uni-potsdam.zoom-x.de/j/65302708182

Meeting-ID: 653 0270 8182
Code: 32270473