direct realism

Question 1

define direct realism

Answer 1

the view that the external world exists independently of the mind and we perceive the external world directly so the immediate objects of perception are mind-independent objects and their properties

Question 2

the argument from illusion

Answer 2

reality can be different to our perception of it eg. pencil looking bendy in water. if direct realism were true, the external world would be exactly as we perceive it

Question 3

the argument from perceptual variation

Answer 3

table shape argument. one may argue it is rectangular and diamond shaped at the same time - it can’t be two things at once so direct realism is false

Question 4

the argument from hallucination

Answer 4

during hallucinations we perceive things that aren’t there

Question 5

the time-lag argument

Answer 5

speed of light - eg. we see the sun as it was 8 minutes ago so not perceiving it directly

Question 6

response to the illusion argument

Answer 6

direct realist could argue that the pencil has the relational property of looking crooked

Question 7

response to the perceptual variation argument

Answer 7

relational properties - object doesn’t chnage but perceiver does so only perceived relational properties change

Question 8

response to the hallucination argument

Answer 8

argue that hallucinations are imaginations rather than perceptions and we can tell the difference

Question 9

response to the time-lag argument

Answer 9

argue that this confuses what we perceive as how we perceive it and we are still perceiving a mind-independent object