Croatian Journal of Philosophy

Volume 11, Issue 2, 2011

Special Session on Mark Richard’s When Truth Gives Out

David Davies
Pages 209-224

Assessing Robinson’s “Revised Causal Argument” for Sense-Data

Howard Robinson’s “revised causal argument” for the sense-datum theory of perception combines elements from two other arguments, the “original” causal argument and the argument from hallucination. Mark Johnston, however, has argued that, once the nature of the object of hallucinatory experience is properly addressed, the errors in hallucination-based arguments for conjunctivist views of perception like the sense-datum theory become apparent. I outline Robinson’s views and then consider the implications of Johnston’s challenge for the revised causal argument.