Being in the Right Place at the Right Time: A Commentary on Zangari and Censor’s Spectral Representations

The central hypothesis put forth by Zangari and Censor in ‘Spectral Representations’ is that “the spatiotemporal description of the world is not unique.” To support this hypothesis, Zangari and Censor utilize the Fourier Transform, a mathematical tool that is used to transform functions from the spatial or temporal domain to the spectral (i.e., frequency) domain. Zangari and Censor propose that a spectral creature, that is, a creature whose sense organs function as frequency analyzers, could perceive the world just as well as we can. While it is certainly true that almost any function can be transformed into the frequency domain, I think there are many problematic points in Zangari and Censor’s article. I will begin in the next section by discussing what I think is Zangari and Censor’s misinterpretation of Kant’s views about space and time. In section 3 I will argue that a spectral representation of the type proposed by Zangari and Censor is an inadequate way of arguing for or against the Kantian view. Finally, I will propose one possible reason for the unique role that space and time play in our perception and cognition. In particular, I will argue that organisms have evolved in order to survive in their environments, and that a critical aspect of survival is that of seeking reward while avoiding punishment. Because typical sources of reward and punishment tend to be localized in space and time, evolution has placed particular emphasis upon these dimensions.