Perception (Critical Concepts in Philosoph)

Conscious perceptual experiences are not only one of the most pervasive and familiar mental states that we enjoy in our lives as minded creatures, but they are also the most fundamental source of our knowledge of the world in which we live. An understanding of perception is therefore essential to both understanding who we are and how we engage with the world in which we live.

Although philosophical thinking about perception is as old as philosophy itself, the late 20th and early 21st centuries have seen a resurgence of interest in this core philosophical topic which has seen it become one of the hottest topics in contemporary philosophy. The proposed collection will therefore provide the reader with the historical background needed to understand the key concerns of contemporary philosophy of perception (Volume I) as well as a detailed understanding of the different theories that attempt to address those concerns (Volume II). In addition to this, the collection will also provide the reader with an appreciation for the many ways in which philosophical and empirical, scientific approaches to perception interact with one another (Volume III) and will introduce the reader to both historical and contemporary attempts to move our thinking about perception beyond the central case of vision (Volume IV).

Each volume will contain a newly-written introduction by the editor that will both overview the contents of that particular volume and connect that volume to the general themes of the collection.