EVENTS as percepts
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(1) |
| ID | ◀ 1189 ▶ |
| Object type | Epistemology, ontology or semantics |
An event is basically the perception of a change, or a distinction between a former and a later state. It is not clear if we perceive events through time flow or time flow through the succession of events: In J.J. GIBSON's words: “Events are perceived, but time is not” (1986, p.100).
Another intriguing aspect is that events are perceived in function of a more or less stable background.
Furthermore, the events that are perceived depend on the time-scale of each perceiving system. Events for a caterpillar or a mosquito are those which occur within the reference time frame of a season. Human beings are able to perceive some events on a yearly scale, and even with more abstract insight, on a geological scale.
Any event is inscribed in a specific space-time frame, related to a specific class of observers.