Single Idea 4758

[catalogued under 11. Knowledge Aims / C. Knowing Reality / 1. Perceptual Realism / a. Naïve realism]

Full Idea

Naïve realism leads to physics, and physics, if true, shows that naïve realism is false. Therefore naïve realism, if true, is false, therefore it is false.

Gist of Idea

Naïve realism leads to physics, but physics then shows that naïve realism is false

Source

Bertrand Russell (An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth [1940], p.13)

Book Reference

Russell,Bertrand: 'An Inquiry into Meaning and Truth' [Penguin 1967], p.13


A Reaction

I'm inclined to agree with this, though once you have gone off and explored representation and sense data you may be driven back to naïve realism again.