The central issue here is the question of Direct v.s. Indirect Perception, or whether the solid objects and colored surfaces that we see in the world of conscious experience are actual objects and surfaces in the real world, or whether they are merely internal effigies of those external entities constructed by our brain, guided by the input from our senses. And the issue is by no means inconsequential, for these opposing views suggest very different ideas of the function of visual processing, or what all that neural wetware is supposed to actually do. Therefore it is of central importance to address this issue head-on, and to determine which of these competing hypotheses reflect the truth of visual processing. If science is to triumph over mysticism, the decision should be based on sound logical grounds, rather than on the perceived incredibility of the competing alternatives.
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