Aristotle on Perceiving Objects

Anna Marmodoro is a Fellow in Philosophy of Corpus Christi College, University of Oxford. She specializes in ancient philosophy and contemporary metaphysics, and currently directs a major research project in metaphysics funded by the European Research Council.

Marmodoro has done exemplary work in bringing us closer to understanding the details of Aristotle's theory of perception ... Her work will be necessary reading for anyone interested in the philosophy of perception, and by putting it into the context of contemporary power metaphysics she has made Aristotleâs theory of more than antiquarian interest.

• Acknowledgements ; Introduction ; Chapter 1 - The metaphysical foundations of perception ; Introduction ; 1.1 Aristotle's power ontology ; 1.2 The nature of causal powers ; 1.3 Causal powers in actuality ; 1.4 Relations and relatives ; 1.5 Causation without glue ; 1.6 The causal powers model in Physics III 3 ; Concluding remarks ; Chapter 2- Aristotle's causal powers theory of perception ; Introduction ; 2.1 The faculty of perception ; 2.2 The five senses ; 2.3 The power(s) to cause perceptual experiences ; 2.4 Aristotle's causal powers theory of perception ; 2.5 Alternative interpretations of De Anima III 2 ; Concluding remarks ; Appendix: How do the senses 'take on' perceptible qualities? ; Chapter 3 - Aristotle's subtle perceptual realism ; Introduction ; 3.1 Perceptible qualities in second actuality ; 3.1.1 The single-track powers view ; 3.1.2 The multi-track & multi-stage powers view ; 3.2 Objectivity of content and subjectivity of experience ; 3.2.1 Aristotle's Subtle Perceptual Realism ; 3.2.2 Aristotle and McDowell ; 3.3 The role of the medium in perception ; Concluding remarks ; Chapter 4 - The problem of complex perceptual content ; Introduction ; 4.1 The common sense and the perception of complex perceptual content ; 4.2 Simultaneous perception ; 4.3 Incidental perception ; 4.4 Perception of the common sensibles ; 4.5 From the perception of the common sensibles to the perception of objects ; Concluding remarks ; Appendix: Varieties of incidental perception ; Chapter 5 - Unity of subject, operation, content, and time ; Introduction ; 5.1 Physical constraints on complex perceptual content ; 5.2 The unity of subject, of operation and of time ; 5.3 No duplication of perceptual awareness ; 5.4 A 'robust' interpretation of the common sense ; 5.5 A new individuation principle for the common sense ; Concluding remarks ; Chapter 6 - Mixing the many and partitioning the one ; Introduction ; 6. 1 The Mixed Contents Model ; 6.2 The Multiple Sensors Model ; 6.3 The Ratio Model ; Concluding remarks ; Chapter 7 - One and many perceptual faculties ; Introduction ; 7.1 The Relative Identity Model ; 7.2 The Substance Model ; 7.3 The Common Power Model ; Concluding remarks ; Chapter 8 - Conclusions ; Bibliography