Direct Realism (Naive realism)

Question 1

State three points about Direct Realism:

Answer 1

1) It is the man on the street view
2) What you see is what you get
3) Doesn’t change depending on whether there is an observer or not
4) Objects are mind-independent
5) Objects are composed of matter

Question 2

Name 5 headings of criticisms:

Answer 2

1) Argument from Perceptual Variation
2) Argument from Illusion
3) Argument from Hallucinations
4) Time Lag Argument
5) Argument from Science

Question 3

Name four philosophers that criticised Direct Realism using Perceptual Variation:

Answer 3

1) Berkeley
2) Russell
3) Locke
4) Hume

Question 4

Describe Berkeley’s input on criticising Direct Realism using Perceptual Variation:

Answer 4

Example= Red Cloud
From different perspectives it will look different colours.
Conclusion= Colour is an effect made upon something real. So colour is not objectively real (it is subject to change).

Question 5

Describe Russell’s table example to illustrate his criticism of Direct Realism using Perceptual Variation:

Answer 5

The table looks different depending on the light conditions. People can perceive things in different ways (e.g. light conditions or people who are colour blind.)
Conclusion- Colour cannot be something which is in the table itself, appearance depends on light.
We can’t tell which colours the ‘real’ colour, all of the colours which can be seen have just as much right to be real, regardless of which is seen most often.

Question 6

What example does Locke use to illustrate his criticism of Direct Realism using Perceptual Variation?

Answer 6

Dipping hands into water which is the same temperature, but asks the person to imagine one cup is hot and one is cold water. It would be a contradiction for the water to be both hot and cold. So hot and cold cannot be real properties, they are appearances/effects.

Question 7

What do Locke and Hume conclude about the table example? (criticism of DR using Perceptual Variation).

Answer 7

We are directly aware of the tables appearance to our mind.

Question 8

Describe how Locke and Hume elaborate on Locke’s idea of effects/appearances? (criticism of DR using Perceptual Variation).

Answer 8

They extend Locke’s idea of effects/appearances to shape and size. For example when drawing a table the angles will look different to what they are in actual; life, such as the right angles will not look like right angles because of the way we draw it. This is different to reality.
Conclusion- Objects can’t be changing shape/size/colour so they can’t be directly how we see them.

Question 9

What do Locke and Hume conclude about appearance and reality?

Answer 9

Appearance changes, reality does not.

Question 10

What does Russell describe appearances as? (criticism of DR using Perceptual Variation).

Answer 10

Sense-data

Question 11

What is sense-data?

Answer 11

Immediate objects of perception. We cannot be mistaken about our sense-date.

Question 12

What does Russell conclude relating the example of the table and sense-data? (criticism of DR using Perceptual Variation).

Answer 12

The existence of the table is based on sense-data so is perceived indirectly.

Question 13

State two ways that direct realists would respond to the criticisms associated with Perceptual Variation:

Answer 13

1) We can still perceive the objects directly.
2) The difference in perception can be explained by external factors. i.e.. There is a reason for the variation in the way people perceive the world.

Question 14

State two points and an example for the argument from illusion:

Answer 14

1) Our senses are subject to illusions.
2) What we immediately perceive cannot be what the world is actually like.
3) We cannot distinguish between something which is really there and something which is not.

eg. railway tracks/stick bent in water

Question 15

State two ways which Direct Realists might respond to the argument from illusion:

Answer 15

1) We are directly seeing the light refraction (table appearing different colours).
2) eg. The stick appears bent due to physical, scientific factors.
3) Illusion does not mean that we cannot perceive the world directly.

Question 16

State two points and an example for the argument from hallucinations:

Answer 16

1) There is an issue as we cannot distinguish between what is real and what is in the mind (a hallucination).
2) If people are perceiving things, they must be real according to direct realists.
3) Hallucinations must be part of the real world because we can only perceive what is real.

eg.. the dagger in Macbeth

Question 17

State three ways which Direct Realists might respond to the argument from hallucinations:

Answer 17

1) People who see hallucinations have external factors causing them. (drugs/hormone imbalances.)
2) It is not the norm/those who are experiencing hallucinations are in the minority.
3) The majority of people do perceive the world as it really is.

Question 18

State two points and an example for the Time-Lag Argument:

Answer 18

1) If the world is directly how we see it, there must be a delay, yet we know there isn’t actually a delay.
2) We cannot be directly perceiving the objects around is.

eg.. Thunder and lightening, light takes 8 mins to travel from the sun.

Question 19

State three ways which Direct Realists might respond to the Time-Lag Argument:

Answer 19

1) There isn’t actually a delay it depends on external factors i.e. where you are standing.
2) Direct Realists accept we do experience a time-lag but claim we can still see things exactly how they are.
3) We see objects as they were, but we can still be aware of the objects as they are now.

Question 20

State three points and an example for the Argument from Science:

Answer 20

1) Discovery of natural sciences has lead us to believe that the world cannot be exactly as we perceive it to be.
2) There are different layers too science and reality (the microscope Vs the naked eye)- The atomic level is reducible.

eg. . Physics-light is a form of electromagnetic radiation.
3) We perceive it as colours when in reality it is simply lightwaves of different lengths.

Question 21

State three ways which Direct Realists might respond to the Argument from Science:

Answer 21

1) You still directly perceive the world, just through different instruments. (e.g.. microscope Vs naked eye)
2) The objects will appear differently depending on what instrument is used.
3) This does not mean the world is always changing, rather the way we view the world/the way it appears to us changes.