Abstract
Perception is a central topic in both epistemology and philosophy of mind. This essay addresses perception from both perspectives, exploring its structure, phenomenology, and relation to belief and knowledge. Perception embodies sensory experience and in that way is phenomenologically representational; it is a response to its object and in that way a source of information about what is perceived; and it is a basis of belief and knowledge and in that way enables us to navigate the world. These points are examined in relation to five dimensions of the theory of perception: the “contents” of perceptual experience; the levels of its responsiveness to its objects; the extent to which, in various forms, it may depend on conceptualizing what is perceived; its liability to influence by the perceiver’s beliefs or theoretical commitments; and its role in grounding justification and knowledge.
