Olfactory structure and olfactory content

The philosophical literature on olfaction is characterized by diverging opinions on the spatiality of olfactory experiences. Some authors believe that olfactory experiences merely present entities as being “here”, but others postulate that such experiences present a rich array of spatial relations. This paper investigates the issue of olfactory spatiality by utilizing the distinction between experiential content and experiential structure. It is argued that, even if olfactory spatial content is well developed, the spatial structure of olfaction is rudimentary. Consequently, views ascribing sparse and rich spatiality to olfaction may both be correct, but they concern distinct aspects of olfactory experiences.