Direct realism

Question 1

Give a definition of direct realism

Answer 1

When we perceive the world there is no mediator between the object and the perceiver. This means that objects are mind independent.

Question 2

What does direct realism therefore reject?

Answer 2

Sense data. We perceive things immediately and are directly aware of the objects themselves.

Question 3

Objects are mind independent, what else is mind independent?

Answer 3

Properties of objects, e.g. when we close our eyes a banana would continue to be yellow.

Question 4

What is the first supporting factor for direct realism?

Answer 4

It is instinctively true. Russel says that if a theory is consistently true we should agree with it.

Question 5

What is the second supporting factor for direct realism?

Answer 5

It avoids scepticism. If direct realism is true I have knowledge because I am directly aware of its existence. No reason to doubt.

Question 6

What is the third supporting factor for direct realism?

Answer 6

Explanatory power

Question 7

Give component one of the third factor.

Answer 7

It EXPLAINS how I am able to interact with the world practically because my perception reveals reality, e.g. knowing where the road markings are in the road because I see them as they exist in reality.

Question 8

Give component two of the third factor

Answer 8

It EXPLAINS why I perceive what I do. Perception is regular and predictable, e.g. if I see a tree one day I can expect it to look the same the next day because its properties are not reliant on my memory.

Question 9

Give component three of the third factor

Answer 9

It EXPLAINS why we all agree on what we perceive. We occupy the same universe and see it objectively.

Question 10

What is issue number 1 with indirect realism?

Answer 10

The argument from illusion.

Question 11

Give the argument for issue number 1.

Answer 11

P1: An illusion when when an object only appears to have a particular property.
P2: The perceiver is directly aware of this apparent property.
P3: However, the object is different from perception in reality.
C1: However, the object is different from perception in reality.
C2: Therefore direct realism is false.

Question 12

What response can we give to this?

Answer 12

When I am subject to illusion I am not directly aware of the physical object.
The illusion does not represent another reality.
Therefore the straw only appears bent because of circumstances.
This appearance is just the way it currently appears but light bending does not act as a mediator or sense-data.

Question 13

What sassy thing does direct realism say about this?

Answer 13

HUnnnnyy… I never said that the objects would always appear how they are.

Question 14

What kinda fancy thing does direct realism say to conclude the argument from an illusion?

Answer 14

Bitch! Indirect realists just seek to ‘reify appearances’ by positing the existence of the entity ‘sense data’. No one ever heard of her girl, I think you may have gone made her up.

Question 15

What is the second issue with direct realism? Who is famous for positing this?

Answer 15

Perceptual variation. Bertrand Russel.

Question 16

Which famous example does this philosopher come up with to illustrate this?

Answer 16

He uses the example of a brown table to say that a) colour changes depending on where light hits and b) it’s shape changes depending on where I stand.

Question 17

Give a quote of what Russel says about this.

Answer 17

‘The real table… is not immediately known to us at all, but must be an inference from what is immediately known’

Question 18

Give the argument for issue 2

Answer 18

P1: Direct realism claims that immediate objects of perception are actually the objects and their properties
P2: But when we perceive physical objects the appearance of properties can vary
P3: The properties of the objects themselves don’t vary.
C: So direct realism is false. Apparent properties are not the same as real properties

Question 19

What is the third issue with direct realism?

Answer 19

Berkeley’s GODDAM bowl of water from his first dialogue

Question 20

What does he say in his example?

Answer 20

You can put a cold hand in lukewarm water and the water will feel hot, if you put a hot hand in lukewarm water it will feel cold.

Question 21

What is Berkeley’s argument?

Answer 21

P1: Direct realists claim that objects possess mind independent properties.
P2: But material objects are perceived to have incompatible properties, e.g. cold and hot properties of the same water at the same time.
P3: They cannot possess incompatible properties in reality (this would be contradictory).
C: Therefore direct realism is false. Material objects do not possess such qualities.

Question 22

Give the response to Berkeley…

Answer 22

The direct realist can claim that objects can look different to perceivers and are nonetheless directly perceived.
Lukewarm water can appear cold to a perceiver but that doesnt mean it actually is.
It doesn’t mean that the property of the water is distinct from the water itself.

Question 23

Give another response to Berkeley…

Answer 23

You Dumb. Hang on let me explain this.. ugh..so. It is a PROPERTY of lukewarm water that it will sometimes appear cold and sometimes appear hot depending on the temperature of the perceivers hand.

Question 24

How can you relate this second Berkeley response to the Russel table?

Answer 24

A table would look different depending on where you stand but we don’t have any genuine disagreement on the shape of the table.

Question 25

How can you explain Berkeley?

Answer 25

SCIENCE. SIMPLE>

Question 26

Sum up the responses to Berkeley

Answer 26

Things taste and smell differently based on the perceiver and their organs. The perceiver varies. There is no need to posit sense data as a mediator.

Question 27

Give a fourth issue with direct realism.

Answer 27

Hallucination.

Question 28

Give the argument for the fourth issue with direct realism.

Answer 28

P1: Hallucinations occour when we perceive something which is outside the mind.
C1: So what they perceive (the hallucination) exists only inside the mind.
P2: Hallucinations can be subjectively indistinguishable from veridical perception.
P3: If hallucinations and veridical perception seem the same in both cases, then we must be aware of the same thing.
C2: So from C1, P2, P3, what they are aware of in veridical perception must also be in their mind
C3: Hence we perceive the world indirectly and direct realism is false.

Question 29

How can you respond to this fourth issue?

Answer 29

A hallucination is not perception. You can tell after an hallucination that it was not real.

Question 30

Name the fifth issue and in which book and chapter it occours.

Answer 30

Chapter 2 Russel’s problems with philosophy. Time lag argument.

Question 31

Give the argument of the fifth issue.

Answer 31

P1: The light from distant objects (e.g. the sun) takes time to reach our eyes (eight mins for the sun).
C1: So what we are seeing may no longer exist.
C2: So what we are seeing and what is there may be different.
P2:This is no less true of physical objects at close distance.
C3: And so what we directly see are appearances of physical objects and direct realism is false.

Question 32

What response can you give to this fifth issue?

Answer 32

When we become aware of an object we are aware of the object itself.
The moment at which we perceive the object does not have to be simultaneous with the object.
Light mediates, physiological system process of sight mediates but this is NOT sense data. Some concession.