Perception is the foundation of knowledge and the source of everything we know. Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that studies the nature, acquisition, and validation of knowledge. To make the connection between perception and the rest of our knowledge—for example, to form concepts—we need a set of guidelines to understand the nature of this integration. The epistemology of perception fills this gap.  Recorded in June 1985


In Part 1 of this talk Dr. David Kelley tackles the questions that skeptics have used to challenge the reliability of the senses—such as illusions and other specific phenomena—by distinguishing between what we perceive and how we perceive, between the object and the form in which we are aware of the object.

Part 2 takes up another important distinction in epistemology, the distinction between sensation and perception.


The Foundations of Knowledge
> Lecture 1: The Primacy of Existence
> Lecture 2: The Epistemology of Perception
> Lectures 3 and 4: Universals and Induction
> Lecture 5: Skepticism
> Lecture 6: The Nature of Free Will

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David Kelley

About The Author:

Author: David Kelley
David Kelley is the founder of The Atlas Society. A professional philosopher, teacher, and best-selling author, he has been a leading proponent of Objectivism for more than 25 years.

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