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Representative Realism
- Realist perspective: Holds that the world consists
of material objects as the direct realist does
- Representation: We do not perceive
objects directly as they are - Sense
Data/Actual Perception
- Explanation of sense deception: When sense data do not match up with
objects, I am subject to illusion. This occurs because we perceive accurately
the primary qualities of objects but the secondary ones are not real and are to
an extent illusions
- There are useful illusions e.g.Smell represents the shape of a molecule which is
itself a primary quality. Like the contour lines on map which show a rough outline
of the way the terrain lies, secondary qualities are not mere illusions
- Seconondary qualities are not completely misleading as they map
onto real differences in objects on a molecular scale. Colour
represents the ability of an object to absorb and emit light
- Seconondary qualities are not completely misleading as they map
onto real differences in objects on a molecular scale. Colour
represents the ability of an object to absorb and emit light
- There are useful illusions e.g.Smell represents the shape of a molecule which is
itself a primary quality. Like the contour lines on map which show a rough outline
of the way the terrain lies, secondary qualities are not mere illusions
- Respresntative realism explains the criticisms of
naive realism - changes in perspective,
hallucinations & time lags etc.
- The tree in the forest which falls does produce
compression waves of air but there is no
subjective experience of a noise
- The tree in the forest which falls does produce
compression waves of air but there is no
subjective experience of a noise
- Explanation of sense deception: When sense data do not match up with
objects, I am subject to illusion. This occurs because we perceive accurately
the primary qualities of objects but the secondary ones are not real and are to
an extent illusions
- Representation: We do not perceive
objects directly as they are - Sense
Data/Actual Perception
- CRIT: How can we tell when our senses are deceiving us? We know when
hallucinations occur, but it is difficult to know how accurately the real world is being
represented. Critics say we only perceive secondary qualities directly as everything
we perceive comes from the five senses, primary qualities must be inferred
- E.g. We cannot compare our experience with reality as we can
compare the map with real life, we know the contour lines vaguely
represent real life because we can compare them
- E.g. We cannot compare our experience with reality as we can
compare the map with real life, we know the contour lines vaguely
represent real life because we can compare them
- CRIT(Veil of Perception): There is a
gap between what we perceive and
what is really there
- We have no real access to the real
world, it could be radically different to
how we perceive it
- RESP: If the real world was in no way similar
to our experience, we would not have survived
as we do - we would not have been able to
hunt etc.
- CRIT: Our senses could be rigged to allow us
to survive but still present a wholly distorted
image e.g. evil demon thesis
- CRIT: Our senses could be rigged to allow us
to survive but still present a wholly distorted
image e.g. evil demon thesis
- RESP: If the real world was in no way similar
to our experience, we would not have survived
as we do - we would not have been able to
hunt etc.
- We have no real access to the real
world, it could be radically different to
how we perceive it
- CRIT(Kant): There is no reason why our
concepts should apply to the real world since they
are derived from our perception
- As far as we know, causation is a concept that applies only to
the world of sense experience. The perceived world is the only
place we can meaningfully speak about
- As far as we know, causation is a concept that applies only to
the world of sense experience. The perceived world is the only
place we can meaningfully speak about
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