Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Philosophische Fakultät Institut für Medienwissenschaft Epistemic Functions of Pictures Some Conceptual Preliminaries Conference Visual Learning: Communication – Cognition – Curriculum, Budapest, Decemper 7-8, 2012

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 2 Background Philosophy and Image Science Conceptual clarification Specific functions of pictures Core Topics Relation of pictures and knowledge Rhetoric of picture use Introduction

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 3 Introduction Epistemic Functions of Pictures Pictures as empirical basis Pictures in contexts of justification Pictures in contexts of discovery Visualization and Genesis of Knowledge The basic problem: pictures and knowledge Picture, truth and rhetoric Conclusion Introduction Content

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 4 Sequential photography (Muybridge) Epistemic Functions

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 5 Sequential photography (Muybridge) Epistemic Functions

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 6 Pictures as empirical basis In empirical research, causally created pictures are particularly important. They serve to augment perception in order to verify the existence of objects or events. When pictures are used indexically as a measuring instrument, precise calibration must be ensured (i.e. authorization/authentification). Epistemic Functions

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 7 Introduction Epistemic Functions of Pictures Pictures as empirical basis Pictures in contexts of justification Pictures in contexts of discovery Visualization and Genesis of Knowledge The basic problem: pictures and knowledge Picture, truth and rhetoric Conclusion Introduction Content

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 8 Pictures in contexts of justification Pictures can depict complex issues schematically. Here, their epistemic contribution arises from the illustration of an argumentation. Pictures can function also as visual arguments. In contexts of justification, visual arguments require a precise (usually verbal) explanation. Epistemic Functions

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 9 Mathematic example Epistemic Functions

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 10 Introduction Epistemic Functions of Pictures Pictures as empirical basis Pictures in contexts of justification Pictures in contexts of discovery Visualization and Genesis of Knowledge The basic problem: pictures and knowledge Picture, truth and rhetoric Conclusion Introduction Content

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 11 Scientific visualizations (Kekulé) Epistemic Functions

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 12 Scientific visualizations Epistemic Functions

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 13 Pictures in contexts of discovery In epistemic contexts of discovery, pictures often fulfill the function of analogies (as do metaphors). Pictures allow for the transfer of complex structures from a field theoretically well- founded to a field yet unexplored. As analogy models, they also influence our abstract conceptual views. Epistemic Functions

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 14 Content Introduction Epistemic Functions of Pictures Pictures as empirical basis Pictures in contexts of justification Pictures in contexts of discovery Visualization and Genesis of Knowledge The basic problem: Pictures and knowledge Picture, truth and rhetoric Conclusion Rhetoric

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 15 The basic problem: Pictures and knowledge 1 Knowledge is true and justified opinion. Truth is a property of statements / propositions. True opinions (knowing that) presuppose concepts. Justification is a communicative activity. Rhetoric

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 16 The basic problem: Pictures and Knowledge 2 In contrast, the essential function of pictures is illustration respectively visual characterization. In terms of communication theory, this function is comparable to predication. Thus, reference is principally problematic. Problem of selection Rhetoric

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 17 Content Introduction Epistemic Functions of Pictures Pictures as empirical basis Pictures in contexts of justification Pictures in contexts of discovery Visualization and Genesis of Knowledge The basic problem: Pictures and knowledge Picture, truth and rhetoric Conclusion Rhetoric

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 18 Pictures and idealization An important subfunction regarding the epistemic use of images is idealization. Analogy models are idealizing representations. Idealization corresponds to an emphasis of particular aspects / views. Idealization is a rhetorical figure that possesses a certain closeness to the conceptual. Rhetoric

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 19 Idealization in pictures Ernst Haeckel Rhetoric

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit IntroductionEpistemic FuntionsRhetoricConclusion 20 Conclusion Pictures can assume epistemic functions in different ways. However, the quality of an epistemic function always depends on the respective contextual (often linguistic) embedding, as well. Accordingly, pictures can direct knowledge, but through skillful recontextualization, they can also ideologically distort it. Conclusion

Einführung Bild und Erkenntnis Einige Probleme Fazit Thank you for your attention!