Extending the Explanandum for Predictive Processing

A Commentary on Andy Clark

Commentator

Michael Madary

madary @ uni-mainz.de

Johannes Gutenberg-Universität

Mainz, Germany

Target Author

Andy Clark

Andy.Clark @ ed.ac.uk

University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Editors

Thomas Metzinger

metzinger @ uni-mainz.de

Johannes Gutenberg-Universität

Mainz, Germany

Jennifer M. Windt

jennifer.windt @ monash.edu

Monash University

Melbourne, Australia

In this commentary, I suggest that the predictive processing framework (PP) might be applicable to areas beyond those identified by Clark. In particular, PP may be relevant for our understanding of perceptual content, consciousness, and for applied cognitive neuroscience. My main claim for each area is as follows:

1)PP urges an organism-relative conception of perceptual content.

2)Historical a priori accounts of the structure of perceptual experience converge with results from PP.

3)There are a number of areas in which PP can find important practical applications, including education, public policy, and social interaction.

Keywords

Anticipation | Applied cognitive neuroscience | Consciousness | Perception | Perceptual content | Phenomenology | Predictive processing