Perceptual Experience as a Cross-Time Relation

Abstract

According to the relational view concerning the ontological nature of perceptual experience, perceptual experience is a relation between the perceiver and its object. Moreover, if it is a relation, then it must be a cross-time relation. After explicating the principal motive for the relational view, this paper considers whether the ontological nature of perceptual experience can really be construed as a cross-time relation, and argues that the relational view can be defended against objections based on a temporal ontology in the form of the time-lag argument which assumes either Presentism or Eternalism. So it is concluded that as far as temporal ontology is concerned the relational view has no serious problem.