Direct realism

Question 1

What is direct realism?

Answer 1

Naive realism
We immediately perceive physical objects (+External world)
These physical objects(+External world) are mind independent
Objects retain properties after not being perceived

Question 2

What are advantages of direct realism?

Answer 2

Fits with common sense
Avoids scepticism - Gives a clear account of how we
come to have knowledge of the world: we
know about it because our senses provide
immediate access to it’s true nature
Has explanatory power - If it is true that I’m directly
aware of physical reality and it’s properties
this explains why I am able to execute a
whole range of practical actions
-Explains why we agree about what we perceive
and it is in tune with our senses that we occupy
the same world as everybody else

Question 3

What is the argument for illusion?

Answer 3

1. We perceive something having property, F
2. when we perceive something that has property F, there is something that has the property F
3. In an illusion object doesn’t have property F
4. Therefore, what has property F is sense datum
5. Therefore in illusions we see sense dat not physical object immediately
6. Illusions can be subjectively indistinguishable from veridical perception
7. Therefore we see sense data in both illusory and veridical perception
8. in all cases we see sense data immediately
9. Therefore direct realism is false

e.g Bent pencil in water

Question 4

What is the perceptual variation argument?

Answer 4

1. There are variations in perception
2. Perceptions vary without the physical object itself changing
3. Therefore the properties physical objects have and the properties they appear to have differ
4. Therefore what we are immediately aware of perceptually is not exactly the same as what exists independently of the mind
5. Therefore we don’t perceive objects directly

Russel’s table -introduces what we are immediately aware of is sense data
under different conditions/observers may appear to change

Question 5

What are the arguments against direct realism?

Answer 5

The perceptual variation argument
The time lag argument
The argument from illusion
The argument from hallucination

Question 6

Response to the hallucination?

Answer 6

• The fact hallucinations can be indistinguishable from veridical perception doesn’t show that they are the same phenomenon
• Hallucinations have different causes, rather than a physical object, hallucinations are produced by malfunctions in the brain
• So hallucination and veridical perception are not identical phenomenon, even if they are indistinguishable to person subject to them, it doesn’t follow from the fact hallucinations occur in the mind that veridical perceptions involve a purely mental element

Question 7

What is time lag argument?

Answer 7

• We perceive physical objects through a. physical medium rather than the object itself e.g sound/light waves, see the sun as it was 8 minutes ago
• Therefore we see the external world in virtu of some delayed intermediary
• There is a gap between event and experience which implies indirectness- we directly perceive the intermediary as sense data and indirectly the object

Question 8

Response to Time lag

Answer 8

Medium of physical object is part of object itself and thus reject need for sense data
We are still directly perceiving object-just how it was
Mistakes what we perceive with how it is perceived
(Strong)

Question 9

What is argument from Hallucination ?

Answer 9

1. In a hallucination we perceive something having property F
2. When we perceive something having property F, then there is something that has this property
3. But in hallucinations we don’t perceive a physical object at all
4. Therefore what we perceive is sense data
5. Hallucination can be subjectively indistinguishable form veridical perception
6. Therefore we see sense data in both hallucinations and veridical perception
7. Therefore in all cases we see sense data immediately
8. Therefore direct realism is false

Question 10

What is response to perceptual variation?

Answer 10

• The object may apple different but are still directly perceived e.g lukewarm water to a warm hand feels cold. But it is still being directly perceived and there isn’t which is directly perceived and distinct from water itself
• we can measure temp to see real

Reply:
No privileged perspective - can measure temp but can’t tell what real lighting/angle is. so can’t know/ perceive ‘real’ property

Question 11

What is response to Illusion?

Answer 11

-I am directly aware of the real pencil but it appears bent to observer because of the circumstances (light travelling between two mediums)
-The appearing isn’t another thing mediating between me and pencil. it is just a manner of the pencil’s appearance
-We misperceive the pencil
(weak)

reply:

• Firstly it’s not clear what is meant by misperceiving
• Also if I stopped existing so would the bent pencil - the bent ness must have some mind-independent quality and therefore what we are seeing is sense date