ABSTRACT
Synopsis The theory of perception articulated in the Inquiry is further developed in the Essays to explain how, though perception in fact depends on the senses, it is a mental operation. Given the dualism of mind and body, it is necessary to explain how an operation of the mind can depend on processes within the body. This approach, chough based on a traditional dualism, articulates a modern point of view. Perception involves representation or conception of incoming information. The operation of representation or conception is a mental operation, however. Thus, the physical processes in the sense organs which, as a matter of fact, are necessary for perception to occur, are not essential to the mental operation of perception. In principle, the mental operation of representation or conception could arise from other antecedents.
