jbeck


Jacob Beck

Photo of Jacob Beck

Department of Philosophy

Professor
York Research Chair in Philosophy of Visual Perception

Office: Ross Building, S439
Phone: (416)736-2100 Ext: 22582
Email: jbeck@yorku.ca
Primary website: http://www.jacobbeck.org

Media Requests Welcome
Accepting New Graduate Students

Degrees

Ph.D. Philosophy, Harvard University
B.A. Philosophy & Cognitive Science, University of Pennsylvania

Research Interests

Philosophy , Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Cognitive Science
Books

Publication
Year

Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Animal Minds (co-edited with Kristin Andrews), New York: Routledge, 2017, 522 pages

2017

Book Chapters

Publication
Year

Do Nonhuman Animals Have a Language of Thought? Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Animal Minds</i, K. Andrews & J. Beck (eds.), New York: Routledge, 2017, pp. 46–55

2017

Book Reviews

Publication
Year

Review of Ned Block’s The Border between Seeing and Thinking. Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews. June 2, 2023.

2023

Review of Christopher Peacocke’s The Primacy of Metaphysics. European Journal of Philosophy , 28(1), 266–270.

2020

Journal Articles

Publication
Year

Clarke, S. & Beck, J. (2023). "Border Disputes: Recent Debates along the Perception–Cognition Border." Philosophy Compass, 18, e12936.

2023

Beck, J. & Clarke, S. (2023). "Born to Count." Scientific American, 328(3), 42–49.

2023

"Contents and Vehicles in Analog Perception," Crítica, 55(163), 2023, 109–127.

2023

"Mundane Hallucinations and New Wave Relationalism." Noûs, 57(2), 2023, 391–413.

2023

Beck, J. & Languedoc, W. (2023). "Perceptual Noise and the Bell Curve Objection." Analysis, 83(3), 429–436.

2023

Clarke, S. & Beck, J. (2021). "The Number Sense Represents (Rational) Numbers" Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 44, e205.

2021

"On Perceptual Confidence and 'Completely Trusting Your Experience'." Analytic Philosophy, 61, 2020, 174–188.

2020

Can We Really Know What Animals Are Thinking? The Conversation, September 5, 2019

2019

"Perception Is Analog: The Argument from Weber’s Law." The Journal of Philosophy, 116, 2019, 319–349.

2019

"Marking the Perception–Cognition Boundary." Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 96, 2018, 319-334.

2018

"Attention and Mental Primer" (with Keith Schneider). Mind & Language, 32, 2017, 463–494

2017

"Can Bootstrapping Explain Concept Learning?" Cognition, 158, 2017, 110–121

2017

“Analogue Magnitude Representations: A Philosophical Introduction.” The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 66, 2015, pp. 829–855.

2015

“Analogue Magnitudes, the Generality Constraint, and Nonconceptual Thought.” Mind, 123, 2014, pp. 1155–1165

2014

“Sense, Mentalese, and Ontology.” Protosociology, 30: Concepts: Contemporary and Historical Perspectives), 2013, pp. 29–48.

2013

"The Only Good Reason to Ban Steroids in Baseball: To Prevent an Arms Race. The Atlantic, June 17, 2013

2013

“Why We Can’t Say What Animals Think.” Philosophical Psychology, 26, 2013, pp. 520-546

2013

“Do Animals Engage in Conceptual Thought?” Philosophy Compass, 7, 2012, pp. 218-229

2012

“The Generality Constraint and the Structure of Thought.” Mind, 121, 2012, pp. 563-600

2012

"Between Perception and Thought." Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, forthcoming.


Conference Papers

Publication
Year

"Analog Magnitudes: A Philosophical Introduction." Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology, Austin, February 2013.

2013

"Can Bootstrapping Explain Concept Learning?" Centre for the Study of Mind in Nature, University of Oslo, May 2013. Queen’s University, Kingston, November 2012.

2013

“Marking the Perception–Cognition Boundary.” 9th International Symposium: Perception and Concepts, University of Latvia, Riga, May 2013. Department of Philosophy, Carleton University, Ottawa, March 2013.

2013

“Why We Can’t Say What Animals Think.” Bard College, April 2013. University of Missouri at Saint Louis, April 2012. York University, January 2011.

2013

“Comments on ‘God Knows (But Does God Believe?).’” Pacific APA, March 2012

2012

“The Generality Constraint and the Structure of Thought.” Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh, October 2011. Concepts and Perception Workshop, National University of Cordoba, Argentina, December 2012.

2012

“An Empirical Objection to Concept Atomism.” Society for Philosophy & Psychology, Montreal, July 2011

2011

“Comments on Cameron Buckner’s ‘Reforming the Distinction between Cognition and Mere Association.’” Pacific APA, April 2011

2011

“Analog Magnitudes: A Case Study in Nonconceptual Thought.” Texas Tech, February 2010

2010

“Sense, Mentalese, and Ontology.” Texas Tech, November 2010; Washington University in Saint Louis, September 2010

2010

“The Problem of Animal Minds.” Texas Tech, November 2010

2010

“Simulation or Theory? Comments on William M. Ramsey’s ‘How Not to Build a Hybrid.’” Pacific APA, April 2009

2009

“The Mixed View of Concepts: A Defense.” Central APA, February 2009

2009

“The Roots of War: Evolutionary and Cognitive Origins of Human Warmongering.” Philosophical Perspectives on Peace III, Boazici University, Istanbul, June 2009

2009


Current Courses

Term Course Number Section Title Type
Fall 2024 GS/PHIL6355 3.0 A Major Problems in the Philosophy of Mind SEMR
Fall 2024 GS/PHIL6800 6.0 A First-Year Seminar SEMR


Degrees

Ph.D. Philosophy, Harvard University
B.A. Philosophy & Cognitive Science, University of Pennsylvania

Research Interests

Philosophy , Philosophy of Mind, Philosophy of Cognitive Science

All Publications


Book Chapters

Publication
Year

Do Nonhuman Animals Have a Language of Thought? Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Animal Minds</i, K. Andrews & J. Beck (eds.), New York: Routledge, 2017, pp. 46–55

2017

Book Reviews

Publication
Year

Review of Ned Block’s The Border between Seeing and Thinking. Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews. June 2, 2023.

2023

Review of Christopher Peacocke’s The Primacy of Metaphysics. European Journal of Philosophy , 28(1), 266–270.

2020

Books

Publication
Year

Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Animal Minds (co-edited with Kristin Andrews), New York: Routledge, 2017, 522 pages

2017

Journal Articles

Publication
Year

Clarke, S. & Beck, J. (2023). "Border Disputes: Recent Debates along the Perception–Cognition Border." Philosophy Compass, 18, e12936.

2023

Beck, J. & Clarke, S. (2023). "Born to Count." Scientific American, 328(3), 42–49.

2023

"Contents and Vehicles in Analog Perception," Crítica, 55(163), 2023, 109–127.

2023

"Mundane Hallucinations and New Wave Relationalism." Noûs, 57(2), 2023, 391–413.

2023

Beck, J. & Languedoc, W. (2023). "Perceptual Noise and the Bell Curve Objection." Analysis, 83(3), 429–436.

2023

Clarke, S. & Beck, J. (2021). "The Number Sense Represents (Rational) Numbers" Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 44, e205.

2021

"On Perceptual Confidence and 'Completely Trusting Your Experience'." Analytic Philosophy, 61, 2020, 174–188.

2020

Can We Really Know What Animals Are Thinking? The Conversation, September 5, 2019

2019

"Perception Is Analog: The Argument from Weber’s Law." The Journal of Philosophy, 116, 2019, 319–349.

2019

"Marking the Perception–Cognition Boundary." Australasian Journal of Philosophy, 96, 2018, 319-334.

2018

"Attention and Mental Primer" (with Keith Schneider). Mind & Language, 32, 2017, 463–494

2017

"Can Bootstrapping Explain Concept Learning?" Cognition, 158, 2017, 110–121

2017

“Analogue Magnitude Representations: A Philosophical Introduction.” The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 66, 2015, pp. 829–855.

2015

“Analogue Magnitudes, the Generality Constraint, and Nonconceptual Thought.” Mind, 123, 2014, pp. 1155–1165

2014

“Sense, Mentalese, and Ontology.” Protosociology, 30: Concepts: Contemporary and Historical Perspectives), 2013, pp. 29–48.

2013

"The Only Good Reason to Ban Steroids in Baseball: To Prevent an Arms Race. The Atlantic, June 17, 2013

2013

“Why We Can’t Say What Animals Think.” Philosophical Psychology, 26, 2013, pp. 520-546

2013

“Do Animals Engage in Conceptual Thought?” Philosophy Compass, 7, 2012, pp. 218-229

2012

“The Generality Constraint and the Structure of Thought.” Mind, 121, 2012, pp. 563-600

2012

"Between Perception and Thought." Philosophy and Phenomenological Research, forthcoming.


Conference Papers

Publication
Year

"Analog Magnitudes: A Philosophical Introduction." Southern Society for Philosophy and Psychology, Austin, February 2013.

2013

"Can Bootstrapping Explain Concept Learning?" Centre for the Study of Mind in Nature, University of Oslo, May 2013. Queen’s University, Kingston, November 2012.

2013

“Marking the Perception–Cognition Boundary.” 9th International Symposium: Perception and Concepts, University of Latvia, Riga, May 2013. Department of Philosophy, Carleton University, Ottawa, March 2013.

2013

“Why We Can’t Say What Animals Think.” Bard College, April 2013. University of Missouri at Saint Louis, April 2012. York University, January 2011.

2013

“Comments on ‘God Knows (But Does God Believe?).’” Pacific APA, March 2012

2012

“The Generality Constraint and the Structure of Thought.” Center for Philosophy of Science, University of Pittsburgh, October 2011. Concepts and Perception Workshop, National University of Cordoba, Argentina, December 2012.

2012

“An Empirical Objection to Concept Atomism.” Society for Philosophy & Psychology, Montreal, July 2011

2011

“Comments on Cameron Buckner’s ‘Reforming the Distinction between Cognition and Mere Association.’” Pacific APA, April 2011

2011

“Analog Magnitudes: A Case Study in Nonconceptual Thought.” Texas Tech, February 2010

2010

“Sense, Mentalese, and Ontology.” Texas Tech, November 2010; Washington University in Saint Louis, September 2010

2010

“The Problem of Animal Minds.” Texas Tech, November 2010

2010

“Simulation or Theory? Comments on William M. Ramsey’s ‘How Not to Build a Hybrid.’” Pacific APA, April 2009

2009

“The Mixed View of Concepts: A Defense.” Central APA, February 2009

2009

“The Roots of War: Evolutionary and Cognitive Origins of Human Warmongering.” Philosophical Perspectives on Peace III, Boazici University, Istanbul, June 2009

2009


Current Courses

Term Course Number Section Title Type
Fall 2024 GS/PHIL6355 3.0 A Major Problems in the Philosophy of Mind SEMR
Fall 2024 GS/PHIL6800 6.0 A First-Year Seminar SEMR