Perception

Perception is one of the most pervasive and puzzling problems in philosophy, generating a great deal of recent attention in philosophy of mind, psychology and metaphysics. If perceptual illusion and hallucination are possible, how can perception be what it intuitively seems to be, a direct and immediate access to reality? Perception examines four of the most important theories of perception, the sense datum view; the Qualia view; the intentional view; and the disjunctive view, and assesses each in turn. He also discusses the relationship between perception and the physical world, in particular arguments for physical reductivism in perception, and the problem of sensory qualities such as color. Adam Pautz includes useful examples throughout the book, to illustrate the problematic nature of perception, including consciousness, hallucination, illusion, blindsight, the reliability of introspection, and whether perception is conceptual or non-conceptual. Including chapter summaries, annotated further reading and a glossary, Perception provides an ideal and up to date introduction to the field. Essential reading for students of philosophy of mind, philosophy of psychology and metaphysics.