Skepticism and the Veil of Perception (Studies in Epistemology and Cognitive Theory) [Hardcover]

Michael Huemer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0742512525 | ISBN-13: 978-0742512528 | Publication Date: July 15, 2001

Since Descartes, one of the central questions of Western philosophy has been that of how we know that the objects we seem to perceive are real. Philosophical skeptics claim that we know no such thing. Representationalists claim that we can gain such knowledge only by inference, by showing that the hypothesis of a real world is the best explanation for the kind of sensations and mental images we experience. Both accept the doctrine of a 'veil of perception:' that perception can only give us direct awareness of images or representations of objects, not the external objects themselves. In contrast, Huemer develops a theory of perceptual awareness in which perception gives us direct awareness of real objects, not mental representations, and we have non-inferential knowledge of the properties of these objects. Further, Huemer confronts the four main arguments for philosophical skepticism, showing that they are powerless against this kind of theory of perceptual knowledge.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This essay is useful for its clear, accessible discussion of standard skeptical arguments and its critical review of the major arguments for sense-data. Huemer's discussion of those matters is comprehensive and engaging. (Mind )

About the Author

Michael Huemer is assistant professor of philosophy at the University of
Colorado at Boulder.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (July 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0742512525
• ISBN-13: 978-0742512528
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,506,012 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It seems that Huemer is a Phenomenal Conservative, March 6, 2002

By 

Kendall P Auel (Tualatin, OR USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Skepticism and the Veil of Perception (Studies in Epistemology and Cognitive Theory) (Hardcover)

I first encountered Michael Huemer's philosophy on his web site, and I found it clear, intelligent, and accessible. So when SatVoP was published I immediately purchased a copy. This book is well organized and presents what I found to be some fresh ideas in the field of epistemology. In particular, his notion of Phenomenal Convervatism is interesting and compelling.

However, I was a little less impressed with his arguments against indirect realism. He focuses on the property of position (i.e. location) and asks where is the object that I am perceiving. For indirect realism, the object perceived is not the real object but a representation of it. He dismisses the answer "in my brain" and laughs off the idea of a tiny table nestling in amongst the gray matter.

Well, clearly, there is a representation of a table in your brain provided you have a concept of a table. Huemer claims that perception is direct and that the mechanism of perception is irrelevant. This leaves open the question of perception through the means of electronic and/or mechanical enhancement. Are you directly perceiving a table viewed on television?

While I agree that indirect realism leaves us open to the skeptical arguments such as "brain-in-a-vat", I'm not nearly so uncomfortable with that result as is Huemer. I can't rule out the BIV hypothesis, but that is really not so troubling. There are lots of absurd hypotheses that I can't rule out (Black Helicopters, etc.).

I found it interesting that Huemer is very comfortable with the idea that "knowledge" is equal to "it seems to me that ..." in the absence of defeaters. Yet he rules out indirect realism on the basis that it leaves us exposed to skepticism even though "it seems" that the skeptic's view is wrong.

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who is seeking a clear understanding of epistemology and the various approaches to explaining and defining human knowledge. It may not win you over to the direct realist's camp, but you will almost certainly find yourself re-evaluating your philosophical beliefs.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, November 1, 2005

By 

Ananda Gupta (Columbia, MD United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Skepticism and the Veil of Perception (Studies in Epistemology and Cognitive Theory) (Paperback)

There's a lot in this fairly short book, but the upshot is that it's a wonderful revivification of the common-sense approach to epistemology. The arguments are lucid and well presented, and they all hang together very well to paint a picture of Huemer's thinking. I have no postgraduate education in philosophy but I found it accessible and understandable, although it will still be somewhat technical for people with no prior experience.