How can we make sense of the fact that people appear smaller when seen from far away and yet do not appear to become smaller? How is it possible that a tilted penny looks elliptical and also looks round? Based on Thomas Reid’s theory of vision this book explains that our visual experience acquaints us with two sorts of shape properties: real figures and visible figures. Both are mind-independent and external; the latter, however, exist relative to a viewpoint in space. Moreover, visible figures have non-Euclidean geometrical properties. The book also applies this Reidean approach to the case of colour perception, hearing and temporal experience.

How can we make sense of the fact that people appear smaller when seen from far away and yet do not appear to become smaller? How is it possible that a tilted penny looks elliptical and also looks round? Based on Thomas Reid’s theory of vision this book explains that our visual experience acquaints us with two sorts of shape properties: real figures and visible figures. Both are mind-independent and external; the latter, however, exist relative to a viewpoint in space. Moreover, visible figures have non-Euclidean geometrical properties. The book also applies this Reidean approach to the case of colour perception, hearing and temporal experience.