Single Idea 5692

[catalogued under 16. Persons / C. Self-Awareness / 1. Introspection]

Full Idea

Introspection cannot be a form of perceiving, since that invariably involves sensory qualities, and no qualities occur in introspection other than those of the sensations and perceptions we introspect; there are no additional qualities.

Gist of Idea

Introspection is not perception, because there are no extra qualities apart from the mental events themselves

Source

David M. Rosenthal (Instrospection [1998])

Book Reference

'MIT Encyclopedia of Cognitive Sciences', ed/tr. various [www.? 1998], p.


A Reaction

This sounds pretty conclusive. Presumably introspection is best described as meta-thought rather than perception, which means that it involves beliefs and judgements, rather than new perceptual qualities. It has to be conceptual, and probably linguistic.