Author Description
Most research on perception has focused on the perceptual experience of three-dimensional, solid, bounded, and coherent material objects - items like tables and tomatoes. But as well as having perceptual experience of such objects, we also experience such aspects of the world as, for instance, rainbows and surfaces, shadows and absences: things that are ephemeral by contrast with material objects. This work presents fifteen new essays on the perceptual experience of such ephemera. The editors' introduction provides a detailed guide to the topic as a whole, setting out the thematic background to this emerging area of research in contemporary philosophy of perception. The volume winds a path through the ephemeral, considering such topics as sounds, smells, transparency, reflection, camouflage, solidity, and ambient vision.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This volume investigates the philosophical status and nature of perceptual experiences directed toward non-material, ephemeral phenomena rather than traditional solid objects. Editors Crowther and Mac Cumhaill curate fifteen original essays that challenge the standard focus of perception research, which has historically prioritized bounded, three-dimensional entities. The collection provides a framework for understanding how human consciousness interacts with transient aspects of the environment, such as shadows, sounds, and reflections, thereby expanding the scope of contemporary perceptual theory.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Philosophical analysis of non-material entities including rainbows, shadows, and absences
- Investigations into sensory modalities such as olfaction and audition
- Theoretical discussions on transparency, reflection, and ambient vision
- A comprehensive introductory guide to the emerging field of ephemeral perception
Scope Limits
- Does not cover neurobiological mechanisms of vision
- Excludes empirical psychological studies on object permanence
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars in the philosophy of mind view this collection as a significant contribution to the literature on perceptual intentionality. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored for advanced students and researchers in analytic philosophy.
Page Count:
0
Publication Date:
1900-01-01
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0191789127
ISBN-13:
9780191789120
Philosophy
Epistemology
Metaphysics
Perception