Philosophy Week 3 Notes Descartes is defending skeptical perceptions Meditation 1 Russell Appearance and Reality Opening Questions Is there certain knowledge Is there anything on cannot reasonably doubt Natural starting point philosophy Being with our present experiences see hear touch taste and smell Concepts Appearance What things seem to be Page 95 Reality What things really are Page 95 E g Sense data vs Sensation color is a sense datum the way we feel when we see Sense data things that are immediately known to sensation Page 97 Sensation experience of being immediately aware of sense data Page 97 the color is the sensation Problems of Appearance and Reality 1 We think we can obtain knowledge about how the world is from our senses 2 But two people looking at the same table can receive different sense data 3 All our experiences are relational they depend on relations between the observer and the object 4 there s no way to know the real table by experience because no two experiences of the same table will be the same The best one can do is infer what real table is like from the table as it appears to one experience Questions arising from the argument How do we know if our sensations mirror the properties of the sense data If all we know is sense data then how do we know there are real objects If all we know is sense data and sensations then can we know what things are like How do we know if our sensations mirror the properties of the sense data We don t but we know that the appearance is a sign of some reality Page 97 If all we know is sense data then how do we know its there We don t know anything other than there is something related to the sense data that is Is the table really there themselves causing sensations in us If all we know is sense data and sensations then can we know what things are like in themselves No because all we can know is sense data that depend in part on us Russell Problems of Appearance and Reality Read What can I Know 1 We think that we can obtain knowledge above how the world is from our own senses Sensations object 2 But two people looking at the same table can receive different sense data 3 All of our experiences are relational they depend on relations between the observer and the 4 There is no way to know the real table by experience because no two experiences of the same table will be the same The best one can do is infer what the real table is like from the table as it appears to one in experience Questions Arising From Russell s Argument How do we know if our sensations mirror the priorities of the sense data We don t but we know that the appearance is a sign of some reality Page 97 If all we know is sense data then how do we know there are real objects e g that the table is there We don t know anything other than there is something related to the sense data that is causing sensations in us If we all know is sense data and sensations then can we know what things are like in themselves No because all we can know is sense data that depends in part on us Color Vision Philips Trivial game What Can I Know Good Teaches one to be cautious and tightens up our standards of knowledge Bad It does not clarify our confusions but instead creates confusion Philosophical doubters aren t playing a trivial game but their doubts are misplaced Unless we show the road to confusion there is no road back from it page 99 Source of Confusion Where does knowledge come from i ii i ii Begin with an open mind Add experience of sense data caused by interactions with external world STOP Problem How does one get beyond sense data to knowledge of the external world Where does knowledge come from 2 0 Begin with an open mind Add experience that is beyond doubt minimal sense data and go from yhere to claim about the external world STOP Problem It is a mistake to think that only minimal sense data is beyond doubt Distinguish favorable circumstances no room to doubt experience is of external world and unfavorable circumstances Skeptic s challenge only something justified Not always something sense data between me and the world Source of Confusion even in unfavorable circumstances Confusions No need to postulate sense data to understand our experiences of external world 1 Confusions can create problems 2 It is philosophical confusion to think an intermediary is needed between the external world and my mind in order to obtain knowledge 3 Distinguish between favorable circumstances FC and unfavorable circumstances UC Favorable Circumstances Sometimes experiences are a direct path to knowledge Unfavorable Circumstances Sometimes experiences knowledge is obscured or harder to get to bent stick in the water 4 Knowledge is obtainable without intermediary in favorable circumstances 5 Doubts e g Russell and skeptical challenges e g Descartes are not always justified