Is There a Perceptual Relation?

Abstract Many philosophers think that a central question in the philosophy of mind is the question of whether perceptual experience involves 'qualia', understood as intrinsic, non-representational qualities of experience. This chapter argues that as far as perceptual experience is concerned (as opposed to experience of other kinds) this is not a central issue, since it is not motivated by the central puzzle or paradox of the philosophy of perception, which is the argument from illusion or hallucination. It outlines a general conception of the philosophy of perception which locates the central debate as that between those who think perception is a fundamentally a form of representation or intentionality, and those who think that it should be primarily understood in terms of an irreducible relation to the environment.