Single Idea 6462

[catalogued under 12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 4. Sense Data / b. Nature of sense-data]

Full Idea

I regard sense-data as not mental, and as being, in fact, part of the actual subject-matter of physics.

Gist of Idea

Sense-data are not mental, but are part of the subject-matter of physics

Source

Bertrand Russell (The Relation of Sense-Data to Physics [1914], §III)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'Mysticism and Logic' [Unwin 1989], p.144


A Reaction

Russell had clearly given himself an ontological problem with the introduction of sense-data, and this is his drastic solution. In 1912 his account seems ambiguous between sense-data being mental and being physical.