Results for 'the external world'

979 found
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  1. Perception and the external world.Declan Smithies - 2016 - Philosophical Studies 173 (4):1119-1145.
    In this paper, I argue that perception justifies belief about the external world in virtue of its phenomenal character together with its relations to the external world. But I argue that perceptual relations to the external world impact on the justifying role of perception only by virtue of their impact on its representational content. Epistemic level-bridging principles provide a principled rationale for avoiding more radically externalist theories of perceptual justification.
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  2. (1 other version)Hume and the External World.Stefanie Rocknak - 2018 - In Angela Michelle Coventry & Alex Sager (eds.), _The Humean Mind_. New York: Routledge. pp. 124-136.
    Hume’s understanding of the external world, particularly, his conception of objects, or what he occasionally refers to as “bodies,” is the subject of much dispute. Are objects mind-independent? Or, are they just what we see, feel, smell, taste, or touch? In other words, are objects just sense data? Or, are they ideas about sense data? Or, are objects, somehow, mind-independent, but we have ideas of them, and we receive sense data from them? In this paper, I provide some (...)
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  3. God and the external world.Martin Smith - 2011 - Ratio 24 (1):65-77.
    There are a number of apparent parallels between belief in God and belief in the existence of an external world beyond our experiences. Both beliefs would seem to condition one's overall view of reality and one's place within it – and yet it is difficult to see how either can be defended. Neither belief is likely to receive a purely a priori defence and any empirical evidence that one cites either in favour of the existence of God or (...)
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  4. Identity, Continued Existence, and the External World.Donald L. M. Baxter - 2006 - In Saul Traiger (ed.), The Blackwell Guide to Hume’s Treatise. Oxford: Blackwell. pp. 114–132.
    To the question whether Hume believed in mind-independent physical objects (or as he would put it, bodies), the answer is Yes and No. It is Yes when Hume writes “We may well ask, What causes induce us to believe in the existence of body? but ’tis in vain to ask, Whether there be body or not? That is a point, which we must take for granted in all our reasonings.” However the answer is No after inquiring into the causes of (...)
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  5. External World Skepticism, Confidence and Psychologism about the Problem of Priors.Sharon Berry - 2019 - Southern Journal of Philosophy 57 (3):324-346.
    In this paper I will draw attention to an important route to external world skepticism, which I will call confidence skepticism. I will argue that we can defang confidence skepticism (though not a meeker ‘argument from might’ which has got some attention in the 20th century literature on external world skepticism) by adopting a partially psychologistic answer to the problem of priors. And I will argue that certain recent work in the epistemology of mathematics and logic (...)
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  6. On the Problem of the External World in the Ch’eng wei shih lun. Tōkyō: The International Institute for Buddhist Studies.Lambert Schmithausen - 2005 - The International Institute for Buddhist Studies.
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  7. Ontología y mundo externo en Berkeley / Berkeley's Ontology and the External World.Alberto Luis López - 2020 - Logos 135 (48):11-23.
    Readers and historians have often misunderstood Berkeley's philosophy by believing that he denies the existence of the external world. From which they conclude that his philosophy inevitably leads to solipsism. Faced with these readings, in this paper I discuss the relationship between ontology and the external world in Berkeley with the aim of clarifying some interpretative errors and showing three things: 1) that is a mistake to believe Berkeley’s philosophy eliminate the external world and (...)
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  8. Russell on Matter and Our Knowledge of the External World.Irem Kurtsal - 2004 - The Bertrand Russell Society Quarterly 124.
    Bertrand Russell’s philosophy around 1914 is often interpreted as phenomenalism, the view that sensations are not caused by but rather constitute ordinary objects. Indeed, prima facie, his 1914 Our Knowledge of the External World reduces objects to sense-data. However, Russell did not think his view was phenomenalist, and he said that he never gave up either the causal theory of perception or a realist understanding of objects. In this paper I offer an explanation of why Russell might have (...)
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  9. An Argument for External World Skepticism from the Appearance/Reality Distinction.Moti Mizrahi - 2016 - International Journal for the Study of Skepticism 6 (4):368-383.
    In this paper, I argue that arguments from skeptical hypotheses for external world skepticism derive their support from a skeptical argument from the distinction between appearance and reality. This skeptical argument from the appearance/reality distinction gives the external world skeptic her conclusion without appealing to skeptical hypotheses and without assuming that knowledge is closed under known entailments. If this is correct, then this skeptical argument from the appearance/reality distinction poses a new skeptical challenge that cannot be (...)
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  10. The Sense-Data Language and External World Skepticism.Jared Warren - 2024 - In Uriah Kriegel (ed.), Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Mind Vol 4. Oxford University Press.
    We face reality presented with the data of conscious experience and nothing else. The project of early modern philosophy was to build a complete theory of the world from this starting point, with no cheating. Crucial to this starting point is the data of conscious sensory experience – sense data. Attempts to avoid this project often argue that the very idea of sense data is confused. But the sense-data way of talking, the sense-data language, can be freed from every (...)
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  11. External world scepticism and self scepticism.Joshua Rowan Thorpe - 2023 - Philosophical Studies 180 (2):591-607.
    A general trend in recent philosophical and empirical work aims to undermine various traditional claims regarding the distinctive nature of self-knowledge. So far, however, this work has not seriously threatened the Cartesian claim that (at least some) self-knowledge is immune to the sort of sceptical problem that seems to afflict our knowledge of the external world. In this paper I carry this trend further by arguing that the Cartesian claim is false. This is done by showing that a (...)
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  12. Russell’s Logical Construction of the External World.Peter J. Graham - 2018 - In Diego E. Machuca & Baron Reed (eds.), Skepticism: From Antiquity to the Present. New York: Bloomsbury Academic. pp. 454-466.
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  13. Grounding the Selectionist Explanation for the Success of Science in the External Physical World.Ragnar van der Merwe - 2024 - Foundations of Science 29 (4):885-904.
    I identify two versions of the scientific anti-realist’s selectionist explanation for the success of science: Bas van Fraassen’s original and K. Brad Wray’s newer interpretation. In Wray’s version, psycho-social factors internal to the scientific community – viz. scientists’ interests, goals, and preferences – explain the theory-selection practices that explain theory-success. I argue that, if Wray’s version were correct, then science should resemble art. In art, the artwork-selection practices that explain artwork-success appear faddish. They are prone to radical change over time. (...)
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  14. Experience, Thought and External World: Davidson and McDowell.Manoj Panda - 2019 - Indian Philosophical Quarterly (3-4):43-64.
    The relationship between experience and thought is one of the distinctive problems in contemporary philosophy and has significant implications for both philosophy of mind and epistemology. John McDowell in his Magnum Opus Mind and World has argued in favour of a rational and conceptual relationship between experience and thought. In our understanding of the relationship between experience and thought, in his opinion, we fall into an “intolerable oscillation” between Myth of the Given and Coherentism. One of these pitfalls, he (...)
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  15. On being a lonely brain‐in‐a‐vat: Structuralism, solipsism, and the threat from external world skepticism.Grace Helton - 2024 - Analytic Philosophy 65 (3):353-373.
    David Chalmers has recently developed a novel strategy of refuting external world skepticism, one he dubs the structuralist solution. In this paper, I make three primary claims: First, structuralism does not vindicate knowledge of other minds, even if it is combined with a functionalist approach to the metaphysics of minds. Second, because structuralism does not vindicate knowledge of other minds, the structuralist solution vindicates far less worldly knowledge than we would hope for from a solution to skepticism. Third, (...)
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  16. Lonergan and perceptual direct realism: Facing up to the problem of the external material world.Greg Hodes - 2007 - International Philosophical Quarterly 47 (2):203-220.
    In this paper I call attention to the fact that Lonergan gives two radically opposed accounts of how sense perception relates us to the external world and of how we know that this relation exists. I argue that the position that Lonergan characteristically adopts is not the one implied by what is most fundamental in his theory of cognition. I describe the initial epistemic position with regard to the problem of skepticism about the external material world (...)
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  17. Lunacy and Scepticism: Notes on the Logic of Doubt Concerning the Existence of an External World.Sebastian Sunday Grève - 2022 - Topoi 41 (5):1023-1031.
    This article develops a logical (or semantic) response to scepticism about the existence of an external world. Specifically, it is argued that any doubt about the existence of an external world can be proved to be false, but whatever appears to be doubt about the existence of an external world that _cannot_ be proved to be false is nonsense, insofar as it must rely on the assertion of something that is logically impossible. The article (...)
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  18. Introduction to Positivism and the External Real World and Positivism and Realism.Michael Shaffer - 2020 - In Michael J. Shaffer (ed.), Positivism and the External Real World and Positivism and Realism.
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  19. Epistemological solipsism as a route to external world skepticism.Grace Helton - 2021 - Philosophical Perspectives 35 (1):229-250.
    I show that some of the most initially attractive routes of refuting epistemological solipsism face serious obstacles. I also argue that for creatures like ourselves, solipsism is a genuine form of external world skepticism. I suggest that together these claims suggest the following morals: No proposed solution to external world skepticism can succeed which does not also solve the problem of epistemological solipsism. And, more tentatively: In assessing proposed solutions to external world skepticism, epistemologists (...)
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  20. The Equivocal or Question-Begging Nature of Evil Demon Arguments for External World Skepticism.Mylan Engel - 2005 - Southwest Philosophy Review 21 (1):163-178.
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  21. How to Read Moore's "Proof of an External World".Kevin Morris & Consuelo Preti - 2015 - Journal for the History of Analytical Philosophy 4 (1).
    We develop a reading of Moore’s “Proof of an External World” that emphasizes the connections between this paper and Moore’s earlier concerns and strategies. Our reading has the benefit of explaining why the claims that Moore advances in “Proof of an External World” would have been of interest to him, and avoids attributing to him arguments that are either trivial or wildly unsuccessful. Part of the evidence for our view comes from unpublished drafts which, we believe, (...)
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  22. Stumpf’s Cylinders: On the Externalization of Musical Memory and the Future of Traditional Music.John T. Giordano - 2018 - Fifth Princess Galyani Vadhana International Symposium August 30Th-September 1St, 2018.
    In the year 1900, the German philosopher Carl Stumpf made one of the earliest phonograph recordings to document an example of traditional music. The ensemble he recorded was the Siamese Court Orchestra which was performing in Germany at that time. This led to the establishment of the Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv and the beginning of the extensive recording of world traditional music. While written scores have begun to break traditional music away from its dependence on initiation and apprenticeship, the recording of (...)
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  23. Skepticism about the internal world.Alex Byrne - 2015 - In Gideon A. Rosen, Alex Byrne, Joshua Cohen & Seana Valentine Shiffrin (eds.), The Norton Introduction to Philosophy. New York: W. W. Norton.
    Skepticism about the internal world is actually more troubling than skepticism about the external world.
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  24. Revisiting Moore’s Anti-Skeptical Argument in “Proof of an External World".Christopher Stratman - 2021 - International Journal for the Study of Skepticism.
    This paper argues that we should reject G. E. Moore’s anti-skeptical argument as it is presented in “Proof of an External World.” However, the reason I offer is different from traditional objections. A proper understanding of Moore’s “proof” requires paying attention to an important distinction between two forms of skepticism. I call these Ontological Skepticism and Epistemic Skepticism. The former is skepticism about the ontological status of fundamental reality, while the latter is skepticism about our empirical knowledge. Philosophers (...)
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  25. The Smartphone is One of the Externalizations of the Mind that Aspires to the Status of its Extension.Viorel Rotila - 2018 - Postmodern Openings 9 (4):65-97.
    Is the Smartphone (SP) an extension of consciousness or just an (other) externalization of the mind and an extension of the social? The concept of externalizing the mind more appropriately describes a series of processes that tend to be considered extensions of the mind. The human mind has evolved concurrently with various externalizations, such as utensils and language, as contributions to the development of the common environment of humanity: culture and civilization. Externalizations indicate the appearance of the human mind while (...)
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  26. The unattainability of the true world: the Putnamian and Kripkensteinian interpretation of Nietzsche’s The History of an Error.Henrik Sova - 2016 - Studia Philosophica Estonica 9 (2):1-19.
    In this article I am interpreting Friedrich Nietzsche's piece of writing "How the "True World" finally became a fable - The History of an Error" in the context of 20th-century analytical philosophy of language. In particular, I am going to argue that the main theme in this text - the issue of abolishing "the true world" - can be interpreted as Hilary Putnam's model-theoretic arguments against external realism and Saul Kripke's Wittgensteinian arguments against truth-conditional meaning theories. Interpreting (...)
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  27. The Formation of the Historical World in the Human Sciences (review).Eric Sean Nelson - 2004 - Journal of the History of Philosophy 42 (1):113-115.
    In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:Journal of the History of Philosophy 42.1 (2004) 113-115 [Access article in PDF] Wilhelm Dilthey. The Formation of the Historical World in the Human Sciences. Edited with an Introduction by Rudolf A. Makkreel and Frithjof Rodi. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2002. Pp xiii + 399. Cloth $55.00. The first complete English translation of Wilhelm Dilthey's (1833-1911) most important mature work—a seminal work for hermeneutics, phenomenology, critical theory, and (...)
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  28. Creating a World in the Head: The Conscious Apprehension of Neural Content Originating from Internal Sources.Stan Klein & Judith Loftus - forthcoming - Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice.
    Klein, Nguyen, & Zhang (in press) argued that the evolutionary transition from respondent to agent during the Cambrian Explosion would be a promising vantage point from which to gain insight into the evolution of organic sentience. They focused on how increased competition for resources -- in consequence of the proliferation of new, neurally sophisticated life-forms -- made awareness of the external world (in the service of agentic acts) an adaptive priority. The explanatory scope of Klein et al (in (...)
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  29. Corporate Governance in Jordan: Role of the External.Bashar H. Malkawi - 2018 - Dymer, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine: Virtuinter press.
    In our globalized world, competition for capital is intense and only jurisdictions with superior corporate governance will attract the FDI crucial for economic growth and development. The goal of this chapter is to assess the legal regime of external auditors – as opposed to internal auditors - per Company Legislation of 1997 and provide suggestions for improvement in the current legal regime.34 Part II discusses global trends in corporate governance with respect to the role of the external (...)
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  30. External Goods and the Complete Exercise of Virtue in Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics.Sukaina Hirji - 2020 - Archiv für Geschichte der Philosophie 103 (1):29-53.
    In Nicomachean Ethics 1.8, Aristotle seems to argue that certain external goods are needed for happiness because, in the first place, they are needed for virtuous activity. This has puzzled scholars. After all, it seems possible for a virtuous agent to exercise her virtuous character even under conditions of extreme hardship or deprivation. Indeed, it is natural to think these are precisely the conditions under which one's virtue shines through most clearly. Why then does Aristotle think that a wide (...)
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  31. Measuring the World: Olfaction as a Process Model of Perception.Ann-Sophie Barwich - 2018 - In Daniel J. Nicholson & John Dupré (eds.), Everything Flows: Towards a Processual Philosophy of Biology. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. pp. 337-356.
    How much does stimulus input shape perception? The common-sense view is that our perceptions are representations of objects and their features and that the stimulus structures the perceptual object. The problem for this view concerns perceptual biases as responsible for distortions and the subjectivity of perceptual experience. These biases are increasingly studied as constitutive factors of brain processes in recent neuroscience. In neural network models the brain is said to cope with the plethora of sensory information by predicting stimulus regularities (...)
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  32. The Point of Moore’s Proof.Charles Raff - 2019 - International Journal for the Study of Skepticism 11 (1):1-27.
    The current standard interpretation of Moore’s proof assumes he offers a solution to Kant’s famously posed problem of an external world, which Moore quotes at the start of his 1939 lecture “Proof of an External World.” As a solution to Kant’s problem, Moore’s proof would fail utterly. A second received interpretation imputes an aim of refuting metaphysical idealism that Moore’s proof does not at all achieve. This study departs from received interpretations to credit the aim Moore (...)
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  33. Bioethics: An export product? Reflections on hands-on involvement in exploring the “external” validity of international bioethical declarations. [REVIEW]Mairi Levitt & Hub Zwart - 2009 - Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 6 (3):367-377.
    As the technosciences, including genomics, develop into a global phenomenon, the question inevitably emerges whether and to what extent bioethics can and should become a globalised phenomenon as well. Could we somehow articulate a set of core principles or values that ought to be respected worldwide and that could serve as a universal guide or blueprint for bioethical regulations for embedding biotechnologies in various countries? This article considers one universal declaration, the UNESCO Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights ( 2005a (...)
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  34. Consider the Source: An Examination of the Effects of Externally and Internally Generated Content on Memory.Stan Klein - 2024 - Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice 11 (3):311–323.
    Drawing on ideas from philosophy (in particular, epistemology), I argue that one of memory’s most important functions is to provide its owner with knowledge of the physical world. This knowledge helps satisfy the organism’s need to confer stability on an ever-changing reality so the objects in which it consists can be identified and reidentified. I then draw a distinction between sources of knowledge (i.e., from physical vs. subjective reality) and argue—based on evolutionary principles—that because memory was designed by natural (...)
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  35. External debts and the financing of education in Nigeria from 1988 – 2018: Implication for effective educational management.Samuel Okpon Ekaette, Valentine Joseph Owan & D. I. Agbo - 2019 - Journal of Educational Realities (JERA) 9 (1):1-14.
    This study assessed external debts and the financing of education in Nigeria using time series data obtained from World Bank, and CBN Statistical Bulletin covering a period of 31 years from 1988 -2018. The model of the study was derived, while the data collected were analysed using the Ordinary Least Squares. Diagnostic tests such as Augmented Dickey- Fuller (ADF) unit root test, Johansen co-integration, Vector Error Correction (VEC) techniques of estimation, and Granger Causality tests were all performed. Findings (...)
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  36. The self-defeating character of skepticism.Douglas C. Long - 1992 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 52 (1):67-84.
    An important source of doubt about our knowledge of the "external world" is the thought that all of our sensory experience could be delusive without our realizing it. Such wholesale questioning of the deliverances of all forms of perception seems to leave no resources for successfully justifying our belief in the existence of an objective world beyond our subjective experiences. I argue that there is there is a fatal flaw in the very expression of philosophical doubt about (...)
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  37. Doncaster pandas and Caesar's armadillo: Scepticism and via negativa knowledge.Levi Spectre & John Hawthorne - 2023 - Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 108 (2):360-373.
    The external world sceptic tells some familiar narratives involving massive deception. Perhaps we are brains in vats. Perhaps we are the victim of a deceitful demon. You know the drill. The sceptic proceeds by observing first that victims of such deceptions know nothing about their external environment and that second, since we cannot rule out being a victim of such deceptions our- selves, our own external world beliefs fail to attain the status of knowledge. Discussions (...)
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  38. Russell on Acquaintance with Spatial Properties: The Significance of James.Alexander Klein - 2017 - In Sandra Lapointe & Christopher Pincock (eds.), Innovations in the History of Analytical Philosophy. London, United Kingdom: Palgrave-Macmillan. pp. 229 – 264.
    The standard, foundationalist reading of Our Knowledge of the External World requires Russell to have a view of perceptual acquaintance that he demonstrably does not have. Russell’s actual purpose in “constructing” physical bodies out of sense-data is instead to show that psychology and physics are consistent. But how seriously engaged was Russell with actual psychology? I show that OKEW makes some non-trivial assumptions about the character of visual space, and I argue that he drew those assumptions from William (...)
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  39. Perceptual Justification and the Cartesian Theater.David James Barnett - 2019 - In Tamar Szabo Gendler & John Hawthorne (eds.), Oxford Studies in Epistemology, Volume 6. Oxford University Press. pp. 1-34.
    According to a traditional Cartesian epistemology of perception, perception does not provide one with direct knowledge of the external world. Instead, your immediate perceptual evidence is limited to facts about your own visual experience, from which conclusions about the external world must be inferred. Cartesianism faces well-known skeptical challenges. But this chapter argues that any anti-Cartesian view strong enough to avoid these challenges must license a way of updating one’s beliefs in response to anticipated experiences that (...)
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  40. Free Will and External Reality: Two Scepticisms Compared.Helen Steward - 2020 - Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society 120 (1):1-20.
    This paper considers the analogies and disanalogies between a certain sort of argument designed to oppose scepticism about free will and a certain sort of argument designed to oppose scepticism about the external world. In the case of free will, I offer the ancient Lazy Argument and an argument of my own, which I call the Agency Argument, as examples of the relevant genre; and in the case of the external world, I consider Moore’s alleged proof (...)
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  41. Form, Qualia and Time: The Hard Problem Reformed.Stephen E. Robbins - 2013 - Mind and Matter 2:153-181.
    The hard problem – focusing essentially on vision here – is in fact the problem of the origin of our image of the external world. This formulation in terms of the “image” is never seen stated, for the forms populating our image of the world are considered computable, and not considered qualia – the “redness” of the cube is the problem, not the cube as form. Form, however, cannot be divorced from motion and hence from time. Therefore (...)
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  42. The Poetic Experience of the World.Mathew Abbott - 2010 - International Journal of Philosophical Studies 18 (4):493-516.
    In this article I develop Heidegger's phenomenology of poetry, showing that it may provide grounds for rejecting claims that he lapses into linguistic idealism. Proceeding via an analysis of the three concepts of language operative in the philosopher's work, I demonstrate how poetic language challenges language's designative and world-disclosive functions. The experience with poetic language, which disrupts Dasein's absorption by emerging out of equipmentality in the mode of the broken tool, brings Dasein to wonder at the world's existence (...)
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  43.  14
    The Present Defects of Humanity and the World: A Call for Balance and Understanding.Angelito Malicse - manuscript
    -/- The Present Defects of Humanity and the World: A Call for Balance and Understanding -/- Humanity stands at a critical juncture in history. While we have made remarkable advances in science, technology, and society, we are also facing unprecedented challenges that threaten both our survival and the well-being of the planet. These challenges are not merely the result of external forces but are deeply rooted in the defects of our systems, behaviors, and understanding of the natural (...). To navigate these challenges, we must address the underlying defects that persist in our world today. These defects, ranging from environmental degradation to social inequality, are manifestations of a larger imbalance in the way humanity interacts with the world and with itself. -/- 1. Disregard for the Natural Environment -/- One of the most glaring defects of humanity today is our continued disregard for the natural environment. Industrialization, urbanization, and the pursuit of short-term profits have led to the exploitation of natural resources at an unsustainable rate. Forests are being cleared, oceans are polluted, and species are being driven to extinction. The Earth’s ecosystems, which provide the foundation for life, are under threat, and the consequences of this damage are becoming more apparent each day. Climate change, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events are just a few of the symptoms of the imbalance humanity has created. This environmental degradation is not just a result of ignorance; it is a product of a deeper disconnection from the natural world and an inability to recognize the interconnectedness of all life. -/- To rectify this defect, humanity must recognize that the natural environment is not a limitless resource to be exploited, but a delicate system that requires respect and care. Sustainable practices must be prioritized, and a shift toward renewable energy, conservation, and responsible consumption is imperative. Furthermore, a new understanding of our place in the natural world must be cultivated, one that acknowledges the interdependence of all living things. -/- 2. Inequality and Social Injustice -/- Another significant defect plaguing humanity is the persistent inequality and social injustice that exists within and between societies. Across the globe, millions of people suffer from poverty, lack of access to education, inadequate healthcare, and social discrimination. Despite progress in certain areas, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to widen, and the systems in place often perpetuate this divide rather than address it. Economic, racial, gender, and social inequalities are deeply entrenched in many societies, creating barriers that prevent individuals from reaching their full potential. -/- This inequality is not only a moral failing but also a practical one. When large portions of the population are marginalized, society as a whole suffers. Unequal access to resources and opportunities stifles innovation, fosters resentment, and creates social unrest. To address this defect, a more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities must be prioritized. Education, healthcare, and economic opportunities should be made accessible to all, ensuring that every individual has the chance to contribute to the collective well-being of society. -/- 3. Ignorance and Misinformation -/- The rapid spread of misinformation and the general lack of critical thinking have become pervasive defects in modern society. In the age of information, people are exposed to vast amounts of data, yet many lack the tools to discern truth from falsehood. Misinformation, fueled by social media, political agendas, and sensationalism, distorts public perception and impedes rational decision-making. This creates confusion, division, and a general distrust in institutions and facts. -/- This ignorance is not limited to the consumption of information but also extends to an overall lack of understanding about the natural laws that govern life and society. The universal law of balance, for example, is often overlooked, leading to decisions that create imbalances in both individual lives and societal structures. To address this defect, education must be restructured to emphasize critical thinking, media literacy, and an understanding of the interconnectedness of all things. By fostering a society that values knowledge and wisdom, we can create an informed citizenry capable of making better decisions for the future. -/- 4. Disconnection from the Universal Laws -/- A deeper, more fundamental defect in humanity is our disconnection from the universal laws that govern the world. These laws, such as the law of balance, cause and effect, and interconnectedness, are the principles that regulate both the natural and social worlds. However, many individuals and societies are unaware of these laws or fail to understand their importance. As a result, decisions are made that violate these natural principles, leading to imbalances in both personal and collective realities. -/- For example, the law of balance suggests that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. When humanity acts in ways that harm the environment or exploit others, there will inevitably be consequences, such as climate change or social unrest. By understanding and respecting these natural laws, humanity can create a more harmonious relationship with the world. Education systems must be restructured to emphasize the importance of natural laws, as well as their practical applications in daily life. -/- 5. Uncontrolled Growth -/- The final major defect of humanity is the unchecked pursuit of growth, both economically and in terms of population. Economic systems around the world are based on the assumption that growth is perpetual, yet this is fundamentally unsustainable. As resources are depleted and ecosystems collapse, the notion of infinite growth becomes increasingly problematic. Similarly, population growth continues to strain the planet’s resources, creating pressure on food, water, and energy supplies. -/- This defect is compounded by a failure to address the long-term consequences of overpopulation and overconsumption. To mitigate this issue, a sustainable approach to growth must be adopted. This includes regulating economic growth to ensure it aligns with the planet’s ecological limits and encouraging sustainable practices in all areas of life. Population control measures, alongside better resource management, are essential for maintaining balance. -/- Conclusion: The Path to a Balanced Future -/- The defects of humanity and the world are deeply interconnected and rooted in our collective choices. However, these defects are not insurmountable. By recognizing the need for balance—whether in our relationship with the environment, with each other, or with the natural laws that govern life—we can begin to correct these imbalances and create a more sustainable, just, and harmonious world. This requires a fundamental shift in our thinking and our approach to education, governance, and society at large. By fostering a deeper understanding of the natural laws and integrating them into our systems, we can lay the foundation for a brighter future for humanity and the planet. -/- . 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  44. Externalism and A Priori knowledge of the world: Why privileged access is not the issue.Maria Lasonen-Aarnio - 2006 - Dialectica 60 (4):433-445.
    I look at incompatibilist arguments aimed at showing that the conjunction of the thesis that a subject has privileged, a priori access to the contents of her own thoughts, on the one hand, and of semantic externalism, on the other, lead to a putatively absurd conclusion, namely, a priori knowledge of the external world. I focus on arguments involving a variety of externalism resulting from the singularity or object-dependence of certain terms such as the demonstrative ‘that’. McKinsey argues (...)
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  45.  99
    Possible worlds with impossible objects: the imaginary logic of NA Vasil'év.Roger Vergauwen & Venanzio Raspa - 1997 - Logique Et Analyse 40 (159):225-248.
    The paper investigates the system of 'Imaginary Logic' created by the Russian logician N.A. Vasil'ev (1880-1940), considered by some to be a forerunner of paraconsistent or intuitionistic logics. It is shown how he constructs a logic without the law of contradiction redefining the concept of negation. Vasil'ev singles out two levels of logic, an external one which is absolute and one depending on commitments in relation to cognizable objects which is not absolute. His reconstruction of the syllogism shows the (...)
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  46. Book Review: The World in the Wave Function - The Metaphysics of Quantum Physics by A. Ney. [REVIEW]Daihyun Chung - 2023 - CHEOLHAK, Korean Philosophical Association 156:211-224.
    (English translation from the text in Korean) -/- The assertion that both humanity and the external world share a fundamental unity has gained increasing recognition, particularly in light of the growing discourse surrounding quantum physics. This perspective draws parallels with conceptual frameworks found in Western idealism, Eastern Buddhism, and the philosophy of Zhuangzi. In examining the current state of scientific inquiry, one cannot overlook the profound impact of quantum mechanics on the field of physics, alongside the rising influence (...)
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  47.  86
    Reflecting on the Importance of Mental Health on World Mental Health Day (10th October, 2024).R. L. Tripathi - 2024 - Mental Health and Human Resilience International Journal 8 (2):2.
    World Mental Health Day serves as a timely reminder of the need to recognize and prioritize mental well-being amidst the growing complexities of modern life. Despite advancements in technology that have created comfort and convenience, these external developments often overshadow our inner well-being, leading to a neglect of mental health. This letter underscores the importance of nurturing our mental and emotional states, which serve as the foundation for overall health and a harmonious existence. Acknowledging the interplay between technology, (...)
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  48. Hume on External Existence: A Sceptical Predicament.Dominic K. Dimech - 2018 - Dissertation, University of Sydney
    This thesis investigates Hume’s philosophy of external existence in relation to, and within the context of, his philosophy of scepticism. In his two main works on metaphysics – A Treatise of Human Nature (1739–40) and the first Enquiry (first ed. 1748) – Hume encounters a predicament pertaining to the unreflective, ‘vulgar’ attribution of external existence to mental perceptions and the ‘philosophical’ distinction between perceptions and objects. I argue that we should understand this predicament as follows: the vulgar opinion (...)
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  49. All the Difference in the World.Tim Crane - 1991 - Philosophical Quarterly 41 (162):1-25.
    The celebrated "Twin Earth" arguments of Hilary Putnam (1975) and Tyler Burge (1979) aim to establish that some intentional states logically depend on facts external to the subjects of those states. Ascriptions of states of these kinds to a thinker entail that the thinker's environment is a certain way. It is not possible that the thinker could be in those very intentional states unless the environment is that way...
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  50. The Basic Dualism in the World: Object-Oriented Ontology and Systems Theory.Martin Zwick - 2024 - Open Philosophy 7 (1):261-78.
    Graham Harman writes that the “basic dualism in the world lies…between things in their intimate reality and things as confronted by other things.” However, dualism implies irreconcilable difference; what Harman points to is better expressed as a dyad, where the two components imply one another and interact. This article shows that systems theory has long asserted the fundamental character of Harman’s dyad, expressing it as the union of internal structure and external function, which correspond exactly to what Levi (...)
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