indirect realism Flashcards
indirect realism intro
remains a realist theory- belief that material objects exist independently of the mind
draws on the distinction between reality and appearance
there are three elements in perception:
perceiver, the real object and the appearance of the object to the perceiver
we are directly aware of appearances
Locke- ideas Russell- sense data
these are representations of reality
indirect realism definition
The immediate objects of perception are sense-data (mind dependent) that are caused by and represent mind-independent objects.
support for indirect realism
this account works for perceptual variation, illusion, hallucination and the perceptual time lag.
what we perceive doesn’t always be an accurate representation of reality
They just show appearances of objects not what they actually are
Sense data doesn’t always resemble the objects
perceptual variation- can occur while the real object remains unchanged
illusion- occurs when the appearance of the object doesn’t match the reality
hallucination- when there is no real object corresponding to our sense data
time lag- what I am immediately aware it is not the same as what it really so there.
Locke’s primary and secondary quality distinction
qualities- the power to produce any ideas (sensations) in our mind
primary qualities-
can not be separable from the object objects will always have primary qualities fully mind independent resembles the object available to more than one sense eg, size, motion, extension, position
Our ideas of primary qualities resemble them
Available to more than one sense
certain properties that resemble their real properties ie size, weight, position, motion
Bare bones of physics
Primary- physics
Secondary- sense world
secondary qualities
secondary qualities-
Secondary qualities are really nothing but powers to produce various sensations in us by their primary qualities
Secondary qualities are mind dependent relational properties to mind independent objects ie properties that the object has only in relation to the perceiver ie colour the perceiver can see it
the power is only realised when there is a perceiver ie no minds present there is no colour because no one sees the colour the atoms will still be there so it still has extension it has the power to produce colour sensation but it needs a perceiver to see the colour light will reflect from the apple into perceiver eyes to see colour
Our ideas of secondary qualities represent them but do not resemble them eg my idea is green might not be like anything in the real world my sense data could be distorting them. Human see purple chairs but flies see in black and white. Chairs have same primary qualities ie location but the colour might be experienced differently
Only accessible via one sense eg I can’t taste a colour
separate from the object ie you can separate the secondary quality and for the object to exist
powers to produce an idea or sensation in us ie colour sound taste smell
Sound in physics is vibration in the air but the experience of sound is only realised when there are ears to hear the sound.
primary and secondary qualities
Primary qualities
Properties inherent in the object itself
Objective
eg Size, Shape, Motion, Number
Secondary qualities
Powers of an object to cause sensations in humans
Subjective
eg Colour, Taste, Smell, Feel
primary- physics
secondary- sensual world
support for primary
primary qualities are inseparable from an object meaning that however the object is altered
eg an almond is pounded its parts must remain some shape size position etc even if we can no longer see the parts
without these qualities, it won’t be material at all. therefore the primary qualities just are essential to material objects and are retained by the object whether or not anyone perceives them.
primary qualities support
in standard form
p1 if you continually divide an object the parts must retain the primary qualities even when they are too small to be perceived
conc therefore, primary qualities must exist mind independently
support for secondary qualities
secondary qualities do alter or vanish.
colours are only visible in light and change depending on the light. pounded almonds change their colour and taste.
if we block our noses or ears to don’t place an object in our mouths then it will not make a sound or have any odour or taste.
secondary qualities depend on the primary qualities and require a min to appear and so are not in the objects themselves as we perceive them.
secondary qualities support
in standard form
p1 when we pound an almond we merely change the shape of its parts
p2 but the colour and taste of the almond also change
conc so the changes in colour and taste are caused by the changes in the shape of the almond parts
criticism- primary and secondary qualities
the examples show that both primary and the secondary qualities can change
when an almond has been pounded the shape of its parts changes as does its taste smell and colour.
while the parts do retain some shape the pounded almond retains some taste smell and colour.
so if the change is supposed to show that quality is secondary then we should regard the shape and size of the pieces of almond as mind-dependent.
if we accept that the secondary qualities depend on the texture of the almond this doesn’t show that purely minds dependent. it is reasonable to conclude that certain taste smell and colour are objective properties of the pounded almond.
another argument made by Locke
p1 certain qualities disappear if we block our sense organs
conc so these qualities depend on our sense organ and do not exist s perceived in reality
criticism
appears to be unable to distinguish primary and secondary qualities.
if we close our eyes both the primary and secondary qualities as perceived by us will disappear. while we can handle objects to feel their shape if we let go of them then those same sense experiences cease we stop feeling them. so it looks as though primary qualities behave the same as secondary in this regard.
distinction of primary and secondary qualities: perceptual variation
water temperature
experiment: place one hot and cold hand into lukewarm water at the same time
but since the water cant be both hot and cold at the same time the warmth must be a sensation produced in us by the movement of the minute particles of the water
support for primary and secondary qualities
water temperature experiment
in standard form
p1 the same water can produce the idea or sense-datum of cold to one and of warmth to the other
p2 but the same thing cant be cold and warm at once
conc1 therefore, the cold or warmth cant belong to the material objects the water
conc2 so cold and warmth are purely sensations produced in the perceiver
issues with indirect realism
issues of scepticism about the existence of mind-independent objects
ideas cannot be like material objects
problem- scepticism about the existence of mind independent objects
veil of perception
scepticism about the existence of an external world
we are only aware of sense data and must infer the existence of objects beyond the mind
however our senses deceive us
it is conceivable that our sense data don’t correspond with any material reality ie brain in a vat
these possibilities show that the inference is not valid and so not sufficient for knowledge
we can only truly know what we are directly aware of.
since we can directly observe reality we can’t know that it exists.
sense data constitute a veil between us and reality which we cant penetrate to discover the material world.
response- the involuntary nature of our experiences
locke
we are not in control of our sense data
when I open my eyes I receive certain sense data and this I not something I have any choice about
because perception is not subject to my will, it cant come from me therefore the source of sensation is external.
response to reponse
However, even if Locke succeeds in proving something external, he doesn’t succeed in proving that sense data is in any way an accurate representation of the external world. The sceptic could argue that the external world may be completely different to our perception of it and there’s no way we could know.
Another example dreams and nightmares
When we dream we have experience that are involuntary. We are not in control feel it’s happening to them but dreams are a product of ur own mind.
response- the coherence of various kinds of experience
locke and Cockburn
Locke argues that the different senses confirm the information one another. For example, you can write something on a piece of paper and see the words. Then, you can get someone to read the words out loud and thus hear the same information via a different source.
cockburn observes that we learnt o associate the way objects feel to the touch and the way they appear to the eye ie recognising a dice by touch I can predict how it will look
response to response
The information you hear may be equally misrepresentative of the external world as the information you see.
This can also happen in dreams
You can have a coherent dream but it would be from the mind not from the external world
response- the external world is the best hypothesis
ressull
disappearing and reappearing cat
there is no deductive proof of the nature of the material reality is possible.
we have an instinctive belief in the existence of material reality which corresponds with our sense data and that we should only reject such distinctive relief if they are shown to be incoherent.
this belief is not at all contradictory and makes good sense of our experience as it explains why our sense data appears in regular and predictable ways.
cat example
One way to test a hypothesis is to see whether it explains why my experience is the way it is. if i see a cat in the corner then i leave the room and return after some time and the cat has moved to a different position in the room and now it’s hungry. If there is no cat but when I see in my sense-data, then the cat does not exist when I don’t see it. it comes back into reality when my sense data received it. Nothing connects my two perceptions. the best explanation is that the cat is physical and exist even when i am not around to witness it move.
another example- rotten orange leave orange in draw come back after a year it is rotten same steps as the cat.
External world is not the guarnteed hypothesis
Response to external world from sceptic
problem- ideas cant be like material objects lol listen to audio and write dumbass
we cannot know the nature of mind-independent objects because mind-dependent ideas cannot be like mind-independent objects.
likeness principle- the ideas that ideas or sense data can only resemble other ideas and therefore we can’t make no sense of the claim that our ideas could be like or resemble the primary qualities of objects
problem of ideas cant be like material objects
in standard form
p1 my idea of ie a tree has certain sensible qualities ie green tree-shaped etc
p2 but these sensible qualities depend on the mind
p3 to say that my idea of a tree resembles the real material tree is like saying something visible can resemble something invisible or that a sound can resemble what is not a sound
p4 also ideas are fleeting and changing whereas material objects are supposed to be permanent and unchanging
conc1 this anything outside the mind like matte can’t have any such qualities
conc2 it follows that a supposed material object could not like or resemble my idea of it.
