Naïve Realism, Seeing Stars, and Perceiving the Past
Pacific Philosophical Quarterly 100 (1):202-232 (2019)
Abstract
It seems possible to see a star that no longer exists. Yet it also seems right to say that what no longer exists cannot be seen. We therefore face a puzzle, the traditional answer to which involves abandoning naïve realism in favour of a sense datum view. In this article, however, I offer a novel exploration of the puzzle within a naïve realist framework. As will emerge, the best option for naïve realists is to embrace an eternalist view of time, and claim that in the relevant case, one sees a still existent star‐stage located somewhere in the distant past.
Categories
(categorize this paper)
Reprint years
2019
PhilPapers/Archive ID
MORNRS
Upload history
Added to PP index
2018-09-30
Total views
320 ( #16,999 of 56,932 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
49 ( #15,689 of 56,932 )
2018-09-30
Total views
320 ( #16,999 of 56,932 )
Recent downloads (6 months)
49 ( #15,689 of 56,932 )
How can I increase my downloads?
Downloads since first upload
This graph includes both downloads from PhilArchive and clicks on external links on PhilPapers.