Non-Visual Perception

Philosophers have focused too heavily on vision when studying perceptual consciousness, neglecting other senses like hearing, touch, smell, and taste. This narrow focus risks missing critical features of consciousness and may produce claims that do not generalize to non-visual perception. A comprehensive account of perceptual consciousness requires examining all sensory modalities.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This chapter addresses perceptual consciousness beyond vision. An impressive reach of human perceptual consciousness is non-visual. From this perspective, it is odd that philosophers have so persistently focused on visual forms at the expense of others. This oversight has potential costs. Nothing guarantees that claims about perceptual consciousness or its phenomenology founded on vision alone generalize to non-visual ways of perceiving. Moreover, critical features may be missed by dwelling on vision. If we are after a general and comprehensive account of perceptual consciousness and its phenomenology, it is poor methodology to focus exclusively on vision. This chapter aims to provide the background that is relevant to understanding and appreciating the significance of varieties of consciousness associated with other sensory modalities, such as hearing, touch, smell, and taste.