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Single Idea 21686

[filed under theme 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 Ref

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

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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.

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The 19 ideas with the same theme [difficulties with the concept of sense-data]:

6476	We cannot assume that the subject actually exists, so we cannot distinguish sensations from sense-data [Russell]

8854	My 'acquaintance' with sense-data is nothing like my knowing New York [Williams,M on Russell]

6458	Individuating sense-data is difficult, because they divide when closely attended to [Russell]

6469	Sense-data may be subjective, if closing our eyes can change them [Russell]

15580

There are no raw sense-data - our experiences are of the sound or colour of something [Heidegger]

18729

Part of what we mean by stating the facts is the way we tend to experience them [Wittgenstein]

6501	As sense-data are necessarily private, they are attacked by Wittgenstein's objections [Wittgenstein, by Robinson,H]

6493	We are not conscious of pure liquidity, but of the liquidity of water [Firth]

21686

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

15819

Do sense-data have structure, location, weight, and constituting matter? [Chisholm]

3296	Sense-data are a false objectification of what is essentially subjective [Nagel]

15244

We experience qualities as of objects, not on their own [Harré/Madden]

7639	The Homunculus Fallacy explains a subject perceiving objects by repeating the problem internally [Evans]

3581	Sense data can't give us knowledge if they are non-propositional [Williams,M]

6505	Sense-data are rejected because they are a veil between us and reality, leading to scepticism [Robinson,H]

4101	If we smell something we are aware of the smell separately, but we don't perceive a 'look' when we see [Crane]

4102	The problems of perception disappear if it is a relation to an intentional state, not to an object or sense datum [Crane]

6639	The 'disjunctive' theory of perception says true perceptions and hallucinations need have nothing in common [Lowe]

4720	Sense-data are only safe from scepticism if they are primitive and unconceptualised [O'Grady]