Maarten Steenhagen: "Mirror Images"

Högre seminariet i estetik

Maarten Steenhagen, Uppsala universitet: "Mirror Images"

This paper will address one of the central puzzles of philosophical catoptrics, the philosophical study of the optical properties of mirrors. When you look in your bathroom mirror you see your own face. This seems obvious. However, it is also natural to say that what you see is a mirror image of your face. I will assess whether these claims are ultimately compatible. My main aim is to clarify our conception of the relation between mirror images and the reality of which they are images. This will contribute to our understanding of the optical properties of mirrors, but importantly will also help refine our conception of what an image is.