The Evidence of the Senses

A Realist Theory of Perception

By: David Kelley

Narrated by: Scott R. Smith

Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

In this highly original defense of realism, Atlas Society founder David Kelley argues perception is the direct awareness of objects in the environment, and perception is a reliable foundation for empirical knowledge. The framework for his argument is the Objectivist thesis of "the primacy of existence", in opposition to Cartesian representationalism and Kantian idealism.

In the first part of the audiobook, Kelley discusses the nature and validity of perception. He argues against classical sensationalist and modern computational theories, according to which perception involves inferences from sensory input, and shows how perception is the discrimination of objects as entities. His theory incorporates a key distinction between the object and the form in which it is perceived, which provides insights into the status of phenomenal qualities, the nature of perceptual constancy, issues of perceptual relativity, and the difference between primary and secondary qualities. On that basis, he rejects every form of representationalism.

The second part of the audiobook deals with the use of direct perception to justify conceptual knowledge in the form of perceptual judgments. Kelley critiques both traditional foundationalism and coherence theories, especially their common assumption all justification is by propositional inference.

In his final chapter, he presents an original theory of how perceptual awareness provides nonpropositional justification for perceptual judgments, allowing for a novel defense of empiricism.

An original and substantial contribution to the philosophical literature, this audiobook will be invaluable to philosophers, psychologists, and anyone interested in the complex subject of perceptual theory.

©1986 David Kelley (P)2018 The Atlas Society