Single Idea 3303

[catalogued under 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 4. Anti-realism]

Full Idea

Dummett says that anti-realism offers us a picture of reality as an amorphous lump not yet articulated into discrete objects.

Clarification

'Anti-realism' is that we can know anything called 'reality'. Dummett says you cannot 'cut nature at the joints', because we have no knowledge of the true joints.

Gist of Idea

For anti-realists there are no natural distinctions between objects

Source

report of Michael Dummett (works [1970]) by José A. Benardete - Metaphysics: the logical approach Ch.2

Book Reference

Benardete,José A.: 'Metaphysics: The Logical Approach' [OUP 1989], p.15


A Reaction

This might be called 'weak' anti-realism, where 'strong' anti-realism is the view that reality is quite unknowable, and possibly non-existent.

Related Idea

Idea 7953 Reasoning needs to cut nature accurately at the joints [Plato]