Epistemology: Direct And Indirect Realism

Question 1

Perception

Answer 1

The process of using the senses to become aware of, or to gain knowledge of something (using sight to gain knowldge of colours)

Question 2

Object

Answer 2

A thung that exists. It doesn’t necessarily mean a physical object

Question 3

Property

Answer 3

A characteristic of sn object

Question 4

Realist claims about the external world

Answer 4

External mind-independent world of objects exists and would continue to exist even if no one at all was perceiving or experiencing it

Question 5

Anti-realist claims about the external world

Answer 5

Do not think that there is an external world of mind independent objects that would continue to exist even if no one at all was perceiving or experiencing it. Instead things exist only in someone’s mind

Question 6

Direct realism

Answer 6

Mind independent objects exist and we perceive them directly.
- the immediate objects of awareness during perception are mind-independent objects/properties, so we are directly aware of the mind independent external world during perception rather than being aware of some object within our minds. We can have knowledge of the external world through this direct perception of it.
EXAMPLE:
When I perceive a tree, there is a mind-independent tree and I am directly aware of this tree.

Question 7

Indirect realism

Answer 7

1. Atleast some mind-independent objects exist and they could and would exist even if no minds were perceiving them.
2. The immediate objects of awareness during perception are mind-dependent objects and properties, so we are indirectly aware of the mind-independent external world during perception
3. These mind-dependent sense-data represents mind-independent objects
4. These mind dependent sense data are caused by the mind-independent objects that they represent

Question 8

Key characteristics of sense data according to an indirect realist

Answer 8

-They are MIND-DEPENDENT
-We are INFALLIBLE about them
- They are NON-PHYSICAL/IMMATERIAL
-They are PRIVATE/SUBJECTIVE

Question 9

Mind-dependent

Answer 9

-cannot exist unexperjences
-an unexperienced sense-data is impossible
-their existence depends on the existence of a mind

Question 10

Infallible

Answer 10

• it is impossible for us to think that they have a property that they don’t have and for us to think they exist when they do not
• the judgements I make about them will always be right

Question 11

Non-physical/immaterial

Answer 11

They do not exist in 3D space and do not have a volume, location or a specfic weught

Question 12

Private/subjective

Answer 12

Impossible for more than one perceiver to experience them

Question 13

Key characteristics of external objects according to an indirect realist

Answer 13

-mind-independent
-we are fallible about them
-they are physical/material
-they are public/objective

Question 14

Mind-independent

Answer 14

-can exist even if not experienced
-an unexperienced external object is possible
-their existence does not depends on the existence of a mind

Question 15

Fallible

Answer 15

-it is possible for us to think that they have a property that they don’t have and for us to think they they exist when they do not (hallucinations)
-the judgements we make about them may sometimes be wrong or right

Question 16

Physical/material

Answer 16

• they exist in 3D space and have volume, location and a specifc weight

Question 17

Public/objective

Answer 17

It is possible for all perceiver to indirectly experience them