Perceptual Responsibilism

This paper proposes a theory of perceptual responsibility, which I term perceptual responsibilism. The theory comprises three central claims: (1)We have perceptual responsibilities—responsibilities to perceive in certain ways—as moral, social, or epistemic agents; (2) These responsibilities are epistemic in nature, or at least exhibit a unified epistemic character; (3) When a person forms a belief based on a perceptual experience that was irresponsibly formed, that belief is doxastically unjustified, assuming no other basis is available.