How We Became Sensorimotor

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An engrossing history of the century that transformed our knowledge of the body’s inner senses, the years between 1833 and 1945 fundamentally reshaped science’s understanding of sensory perception, impacting philosophy, social sciences, and cognitive science. Mark Paterson provides a systematic account of this transformative period, highlighting its implications for contemporary studies in phenomenology, embodied consciousness, and theories of the sensorimotor and embodiment. Each chapter focuses on a specific sense, historicizing its development through recent scientific studies, case studies, and media coverage. Paterson explores a range of sensations, including balance, fatigue, pain, the “muscle sense,” and what Maurice Merleau-Ponty referred to as “motricity.” His analysis extends beyond laboratory confines to the industrial world and wild animal habitats. He reveals significant stories, such as how forgotten pain-measurement schemes influenced criminology and how outdated concepts of sensory and motor homunculi persist in psychology textbooks. Featuring original archival research with illustrations and correspondence, the work illustrates how the evolving and sometimes contested historical context of our sensory understandings continues to be relevant today.