Direct Realism (Epistemology)

Question 1

Direct realism essay plan

Answer 1

P1. Intent, (for)

P2. Strengths; intuitive, simple (ockham razor)
P2.2. Objection: Time-lag argument
P2.3 Defence: Direct realism’s response

P3. Objection: Argument from illusion
P3.2 Objection: Argument from hallucination - (more crucial than time-lag argument)
P3.3 Defence: Disjustivism (apply to illusion + hallucination)

P4. Argument from perceptual variation
P4.2 Defence: Direct realism/disjunctivism response

P5. Conclusion

Question 2

Argument from illusion

Answer 2

P1. When subject to an illusion an object appears to the perceiver to have a particular property (eg a straw appears to be bent)
P2. The perceiver is directly aware of this apparent property
P3. However, the object doesn’t have this property in reality (the straw isn’t bent)
C1. So what the perceiver is directly aware of and what is real is distinct.
C2. So DR is false, we do not perceive physical object directly.

Question 3

Disjuntivism Response to illusion and hallucination

Answer 3

Disjunctivism distinguishes between two types of perceptions:
(unlike naive direct realism which says all perceptions are the same and direct)

• Veridical: Real, true perceptions that are accurate to mind-indépendant objects. eg seeing a tree, another person, everyday perceptions
• Non- Veridical: False/Inaccurate perceptions that are not accurate to reality. eg illusions and hallucinations

Deals with problem of illusion and hallucinations by saying they are non-veridical and therefore simply false perceptions of reality.

Question 4

Issue of perceptual variation

Answer 4

P1. Direct realism claims the immediate objects of perception are material objects and their properties (such as colours, textures, shapes)
P2. But when we perceive physical objects the appearance of their properties can change
P3. The properties of the object itself don’t change
C. So direct realism is false; the apparent properties are not the same as the real properties of physical objects.

Question 5

Direct realist response to Issue of Perceptual variation

Answer 5

Direct realists can accept that objects may appear differently to perceivers but still be directly perceived.

For example, lukewarm water may appear cold to a perceiver. This doesn’t mean that it isn’t lukewarm or that it isn’t directly perceived.

It’s a property of the lukewarm water that it will appear warm to a cold hand and cold to a warm one.
Therefore, the perceiver is still directly perceiving the properties of the object accurately.