PERCEPTION AS A REASON FOR
KNOWLEDGE – DIRECT REALISM
“The immediate objects of perception are
mind-independent objects and their
properties”
, Notes:
Direct realism view
o External world exists independently of the mind (realism)
o And we perceive the external world directly (direct)
REALISM = Ontological thesis, claim about what there is
DIRECT = epistemological thesis = claim about nature of cognitive contact with the world
WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET
When you look at and perceive tree, you are directly perceiving a tree that exists in the
world & you are perceiving its properties
Properties e.g. size,shape,smell
E.g I perceive my desk and its properties
o Objects of perception = mind independent, composed of matter
o Would exist regardless of whether human was perceiving them or not
o No additional object between perceiver and object being perceived (such as sense-
data)
What we perceive through our senses are physical objects, along with their properties
o Perception = gives direct awareness of mind-independent objects
DR argues perception form of openness unto the world
Phenomenal principle = whenever something appears as F, some perceived object is F, therefore
what we perceive is not X it is an appearance (sense data)
CRITICISM:
ARGUMENT FROM HALLCINATION
o Hallucinations can appear in various ways e.g visual, auditory
o They are indistinguishable from veridical perception
E.g Hallucinations, seeing a pink elephant
E.g Macbeth and his dagger
o Don’t perceive physical object = so must be sense data
o Nothing is actually there
o We cannot discuss how a physical object looks as there is no visual object only our
hallucinations
Standard form:
KNOWLEDGE – DIRECT REALISM
“The immediate objects of perception are
mind-independent objects and their
properties”
, Notes:
Direct realism view
o External world exists independently of the mind (realism)
o And we perceive the external world directly (direct)
REALISM = Ontological thesis, claim about what there is
DIRECT = epistemological thesis = claim about nature of cognitive contact with the world
WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET
When you look at and perceive tree, you are directly perceiving a tree that exists in the
world & you are perceiving its properties
Properties e.g. size,shape,smell
E.g I perceive my desk and its properties
o Objects of perception = mind independent, composed of matter
o Would exist regardless of whether human was perceiving them or not
o No additional object between perceiver and object being perceived (such as sense-
data)
What we perceive through our senses are physical objects, along with their properties
o Perception = gives direct awareness of mind-independent objects
DR argues perception form of openness unto the world
Phenomenal principle = whenever something appears as F, some perceived object is F, therefore
what we perceive is not X it is an appearance (sense data)
CRITICISM:
ARGUMENT FROM HALLCINATION
o Hallucinations can appear in various ways e.g visual, auditory
o They are indistinguishable from veridical perception
E.g Hallucinations, seeing a pink elephant
E.g Macbeth and his dagger
o Don’t perceive physical object = so must be sense data
o Nothing is actually there
o We cannot discuss how a physical object looks as there is no visual object only our
hallucinations
Standard form:
