Perception is basic for human knowledge and a major concern of both epistemology and the philosophy of mind. The scholarship in this area, however, has left two important aspects of perception underexplored: its relevance to understanding a priori knowledge--traditionally conceived as independent of perception--and its role in human action. This book provides a full-scale account of perception, a theory of the a priori, and an account of how perception guides action. In exploring perception and action, it clarifies the relation between action and practical reasoning, the notion of rational action, and the relation between knowledge of the practical (of how things are done) and practical knowledge (knowing how to do things). In the first part of the book, Robert Audi lays out a theory of perception as experiential, representational, and causally connected with its objects. He argues that perception is a discriminative response to its objects; it embodies phenomenally distinctive elements; and it yields rich information that underlies human knowledge. Part Two presents a theory of self-evidence and the a priori. Audi''s theory is perceptualist in that it explicates the apprehension of a priori truths by articulating its parallels to perception. The theory also unifies empirical and a priori knowledge by clarifying their reliable causal connections with their objects--connections many have thought impossible for a priori knowledge. The final part explores how perception guides action, the role of propositional knowledge in our abilities to do what we know how to do, the nature of reasons for action, the role of inference in determining it, and the overall conditions for its rationality. Addressing longstanding questions left unaddressed in the current literature, Audi''s comprehensive theory of perception will appeal to scholars and students interested in philosophy of perception, mind, and epistemology.
Industry Reviews
"Audi is one of the most distinguished and prolific analytic philosophers working today ... The argumentation in is rich and complex . . . the book represents an important contribution to current debates in epistemology and the philosophy of mind." -- B. T. Harding, CHOICE
"Seeing, Knowing and Doing is a gem. Clearly and concisely, it manages to tackle some of the deepest issues in epistemology. . . such as the nature of perception, its role in justification, the relationship between justification and knowledge, the nature and extent of the a priori, the nature of know-how and the relation between perception and action, while proposing innovative views on all these fronts." -- Annalisa Coliva, University of California, Irvine
"Seeing, Knowing, and Doing offers a comprehensive picture of perception, knowledge, and agency. At its center is the idea that perception is a starting point for knowledge, as for many other epistemic and practical achievements. The book tells a complete story of the role of perception in our cognitive and epistemic lives. Wide-ranging and rigorous, it balances respect for our intuitions with theoretical consistency and completeness." -- Zöe Jenkin,
Rutgers University
"Throughout his distinguished career, Audi has reflected as deeply as anyone on the nature and role of perceptual experience as guides to belief and action, where his own reflection is informed by his penetrating account of a priori justification as grounded in self-evidence. Engaging contemporary debates on the a priori, perceptual knowledge, practical reason, know-how, and action, Seeing, Knowing, and Doing provides a first-rate elaboration of Audi's unique
perspective on the normativity of experience for both belief and action." -- Peter J. Graham, University of California, Riverside
![Light on Yoga : The Definitive Guide to Yoga Practice [Thorsons Classics Edition] - B K S Iyengar](https://www.booktopia.com.au/covers/200/9780007107001/7117/light-on-yoga.jpg)
