A Theory of Sense‐Data
Analytic Philosophy February 11, 2026 DOI: 10.1111/phib.70000 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Perception Virtue Key lock Epistemology Cognitive science Internalism and externalism |
| Key points | Argues that a revised sense-datum theory, in which sense-data are neural states presented first-personally and serve as vehicles of perception rather than objects of perception, should be a live contender in contemporary philosophy of perception. |
Abstract
ABSTRACT I develop and defend a sense‐datum theory of perception. My theory follows the spirit of classic sense‐datum theories: I argue that what it is to have a perceptual experience is to be acquainted with some sense‐data , where sense‐data are private particulars that have all the properties they appear to have, that are common to both perception and hallucination, that constitute the phenomenal characters of perceptual experiences, and that are analogous to pictures inside one's head. But my theory also diverges from conventional sense‐datum theories in some key respects: on my view, (1) sense‐data are neural states presented first‐personally, (2) the sensational qualities of sense‐data differ in kind from the sensible qualities of external objects, and (3) sense‐data are the vehicles in virtue of which we perceive, rather than the objects that we perceive. I argue that this package of claims is appropriately labeled ‘sense‐datum theory’, and that the resultant view ought to be a live contender in contemporary philosophy of perception.