Knowledge Of The External World

Knowledge Of The External World is a module in the AQA AS Unit 2 Philosophy course.

Course Outline

What could be more obvious that the fact that we see, hear, touch, feel and smell a world of which we are part and that we know ever so much about it through the use of our senses? According to philosophers past and present, the relationship between us and the world is far from simple. Some have argued that we cannot in fact know that there is a world 'out there'. (We might unavoidably believe that there is, but this is quite different.) Others have argued that the world out there is not at all as it appears. The colours and smells and sounds are all products of our mind. The stuff of reality is different.

In this course, you will look at different views on what we can know about the external world, from the sceptical to the optimistic.

Issues to be covered

Knowledge of the External World
- Realism
  - What are the immediate objects of perception? Do physical objects have the properties we perceive in them? Is the common-sense view naïve? Do sceptical arguments cast doubt on the common-sense view?
  - The secondary qualities thesis: does this establish that only the primary qualities of objects are objectively real? Characteristics of primary and secondary qualities.
- Representative realism
  - Do sceptical arguments establish the sense-data theory? Examples of sceptical arguments: illusion, perceptual variation, science inspired arguments, time lags. Differences between sense-data and physical objects.
  - Could we know of a relation between sense-data and physical objects? Could the existence of the external world be a hypothesis?
- Idealism
  - Should physical objects be regarded as collections of ideas/sense-data? Are there good reasons for accepting idealism, eg solving the problem of material substance, consistency with empiricism, no linking problem?
  - Inherent difficulties with idealism: problem of unperceived objects, availability of simpler, more systematic alternatives and confusion in the use of the term "idea".

On-line resources

Sample questions and answers
Various Illusions
Contrast Illusions

Resources for downloading

Knowledge of the External World Three Theories.doc

PERCEPTION Intro.ppt

BERKELEY AND IDEALISM.ppt

Phenomenalism Overview.ppt

Defending Common Sense.ppt

Perception - Revision chart Mar 2010.doc

Knowledge of the External World sample questions.doc