
The Senses
Classic and Contemporary Philosophical Perspectives
Fiona Macpherson(Editor)
Oxford University Press Inc
1st Edition
Published on 9. June 2011
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-0-19-538597-7 (ISBN)
Description
The senses, or sensory modalities, constitute the different ways we have of perceiving the world, such as seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling. But how many senses are there? How many could there be? What makes the senses different? What interaction takes place between the senses? This book is a guide to thinking about these questions. Together with an extensive introduction to the topic, the book contains the key classic papers on this subject together with nine newly commissioned essays.
One reason that these questions are important is that we are receiving a huge influx of new information from the sciences that challenges some traditional philosophical views about the senses. This information needs to be incorporated into our view of the senses and perception. Can we do this whilst retaining our pre-existing concepts of the senses and of perception or do we need to revise our concepts? If they need to be revised, then in what way should that be done? Research in diverse areas, such as the nature of human perception, varieties of non-human animal perception, the interaction between different sensory modalities, perceptual disorders, and possible treatments for them, calls into question the platitude that there are five senses, as well as the pre-supposition that we know what we are counting when we count them as five (or more).
This book will serve as an inspiring introduction to the topic and as a basis from which further new research will grow.
One reason that these questions are important is that we are receiving a huge influx of new information from the sciences that challenges some traditional philosophical views about the senses. This information needs to be incorporated into our view of the senses and perception. Can we do this whilst retaining our pre-existing concepts of the senses and of perception or do we need to revise our concepts? If they need to be revised, then in what way should that be done? Research in diverse areas, such as the nature of human perception, varieties of non-human animal perception, the interaction between different sensory modalities, perceptual disorders, and possible treatments for them, calls into question the platitude that there are five senses, as well as the pre-supposition that we know what we are counting when we count them as five (or more).
This book will serve as an inspiring introduction to the topic and as a basis from which further new research will grow.
Reviews / Votes
The Senses is a terrific book. It gets us to focus on important issues in philosophy of perception. It provides countless examples of scientific findings relevant to the philosophical issues. It makes prominent a rich, largely unexplored literature. And it serves as a solid foundation on which future research will undoubtedly flourish. * Notre Dame Philosophical Review *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
The market will be scholars in philosophy of mind, as well as students particularly in graduate seminars.
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
801 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-538597-7 (9780195385977)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
05/2011
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€24.99
Available for download

E-Book
11/2010
1st Edition
OUP eBook
€31.99
Available for download
Person
Fiona Macpherson is Senior Lecturer, Director of the Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience, and Director of Postgraduate Studies
Editor
Senior Lecturer, Director of the Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience, and Director of Postgraduate StudiesSenior Lecturer, Director of the Centre for the Study of Perceptual Experience, and Director of Postgraduate Studies, University of Glasgow
Content
CONTENTS; NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS; INTRODUCTION; SECTION 1: CLASSIC PAPERS; SECTION 2: NEW PAPERS; INDEX