A. D. Smith was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick.

Direct realism claims that there is a purely physical stratum of the world and that we can be directly aware of objects that possess such a stratum. Smith wants to show not that direct realism is true or even possibly true but that it is compatible with the philosophy of perception. More specifically, he contends that the two most serious challenges to direct realism from the philosophy of perception--the argument from illusion and the argument from hallucination--do not refute it. Against these, he argues, respectively, that perceptual constancy is compatible with sensory fluctuation and that an intentional object is not really a thing at all and should be distinguished from the (putative) thing it is taken to be. The book is painstakingly argued and deserves the careful reading it requires.

• Preface Introduction I. The Argument from Illusion 1. The Argument 2. Three Theories of Perception 3. Perception and Conception 4. Taking Stock 5. The Nature of Perceptual Consciousness 6. The Solution II. The Argument from Hallucination 7. The Argument 8. An Extreme Proposal 9. The Solution Notes Index

A. D. Smith was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick.

Direct realism claims that there is a purely physical stratum of the world and that we can be directly aware of objects that possess such a stratum. Smith wants to show not that direct realism is true or even possibly true but that it is compatible with the philosophy of perception. More specifically, he contends that the two most serious challenges to direct realism from the philosophy of perception--the argument from illusion and the argument from hallucination--do not refute it. Against these, he argues, respectively, that perceptual constancy is compatible with sensory fluctuation and that an intentional object is not really a thing at all and should be distinguished from the (putative) thing it is taken to be. The book is painstakingly argued and deserves the careful reading it requires.

• Preface Introduction I. The Argument from Illusion 1. The Argument 2. Three Theories of Perception 3. Perception and Conception 4. Taking Stock 5. The Nature of Perceptual Consciousness 6. The Solution II. The Argument from Hallucination 7. The Argument 8. An Extreme Proposal 9. The Solution Notes Index

A. D. Smith was Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick.

Direct realism claims that there is a purely physical stratum of the world and that we can be directly aware of objects that possess such a stratum. Smith wants to show not that direct realism is true or even possibly true but that it is compatible with the philosophy of perception. More specifically, he contends that the two most serious challenges to direct realism from the philosophy of perception--the argument from illusion and the argument from hallucination--do not refute it. Against these, he argues, respectively, that perceptual constancy is compatible with sensory fluctuation and that an intentional object is not really a thing at all and should be distinguished from the (putative) thing it is taken to be. The book is painstakingly argued and deserves the careful reading it requires.

• Preface Introduction I. The Argument from Illusion 1. The Argument 2. Three Theories of Perception 3. Perception and Conception 4. Taking Stock 5. The Nature of Perceptual Consciousness 6. The Solution II. The Argument from Hallucination 7. The Argument 8. An Extreme Proposal 9. The Solution Notes Index