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Epistemology - Empiricism - Coggle Diagram
Epistemology - Empiricism
The view that knowledge comes from sensory experience, emphasizing observation and evidence over innate ideas or pure reason. It argues that all concepts and beliefs should be grounded in observable and testable data.
Direct Realism
Realism = mind-independent external world. Reality is physical and mindless.
Direct = we directly perceive the external world. Our perceptions are unmediated.
Issue 1: Perceptual Variation
Issue 2: Hallucinations
Issue 3: Time-lag
Indirect Realism
Realism = mind-independent external world. Reality is physical and mindless.
Indirect = we perceive the external world via sense data. Only aware of perceptions.
Veil of perception = We are only aware of what our brain processes and thus constructs
Issue 1: Scepticism about nature of objects
John Locke's Primary and Secondary Qualities
Primary - Mind independant = size, shape, motion, solidity, extension
Secondary - Mind dependant = colour, sound, taste, smell, temperature
Issue 2: Scepticism about Existence of objects
Brain in a vat.
Response: External world is the best hypothesis - Bertrand Russel. Common sense.
Molyneux Problem
Blind man knows how to sense primary qualities, if he was miraculously given his sight back, would he know the primary qualities by sight - no.
Proves against primary and secondary qualities.
Idealism - Berkley
The view that reality is fundamentally mental or immaterial. This means that everything we perceive depends on the mind and does not exist independently of it.
Tree only exists because you perceive it.
Likeness Principle: an idea can be like nothing but another idea.
How is your idea of a ball of fire in the sky at all similar to this huge floating rock tha'ts spherical and not round / circular.
No argument to say that our ideas resemble the real world.
Master argument: imagine mind independant tree.
If you try to conceive of the tree you are now perceiving the unperceived tree so it has become mind dependant.
You cannot perceive an unpercieved object.
By conceiving an object you make it mind dependant.
Issue 1: Solipsism - only your mind exists
Issue 2: Object Permanence
Solution: Deus Ex Machina
Invites God as the saviour. Not just your mind that makes all this work, God is the ultimate perceiver so makes all things exist.
Criticism: What good reason do we have to accept God? Enter all God arguments.
Argument that God may be imperfect if he is to view imperfect things, e.g. pain.