Alphonso Lingis turns to the relationship between sensation as the apprehension of the sense (the orientation of meaning) of things and sensation as sensual contact with them. Professor Lingis shows how new conceptions of sensation, sensibility, sensuality, and susceptibility enable us to discover the intelligibility of our sensuous environment.

Lingis contests holistic conceptions of phenomenology and existential philosophy; and he refutes the primacy of perception and the practicable world. By contrast, he seeks to elucidate the substantive (sensual and excitable) body. He shows that in contact with other sentient beings, an imperative that is addressed to us precedes and makes possible their capacity to order us with the meanings of their words and gestures.

The book is written in clear, vivid language free of all unnecessary technical terminology. Students of philosophy will find it an original contribution to the philosophy of mind, while professionals will find elaborated cogent arguments with established phenomenological theories of perception.