Single Idea 21686

[catalogued under 12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 4. Sense Data / d. Sense-data problems]

Full Idea

The notion of pure sense datum is a pretty tenuous abstraction, a good deal more conjectural than the notion of an external object, a table or a sheep.

Gist of Idea

Sense-data are dubious abstractions, with none of the plausibility of tables

Source

Willard Quine (On Mental Entities [1952], p.225)

Book Reference

Quine,Willard: 'Ways of Paradox and other essays' [Harvard 1976], p.225


A Reaction

This seems to sum up the view of sense-data held by the generation after Russell and Moore. Ayer still talks about them, but Russell had already given them up. The simple challenge is - what is the evidence for their existence? Cf innate ideas.