Phenomenalism

Phenomenalism

What is Phenomenalism?

Phenomenalism is extremely similar to Idealism, except Phenominalists believe that the external world exist even when we're not perceiving it at the moment because there are possible sense experiences.

THANK YOU!

How can things possibly exist

when we're not looking at them?

Criticisms of Phenomenalism

Even when not directly perceiving the object, a person can describe it in sense experience language.

It’s almost impossible to describe something in sense experience language without perceiving the object.

Relies too much on own personal experience, but there is no way to prove your own experiences are correct.

E.g. the sweater is green. The sweater is described in sense experience language – green, but how can you be sure that it is green? When you perceive it as green, it doesn’t mean it really is green. In someone else’s eyes, it is blue and they can argue that based on their private experience that they are right. How can you be so self-certain?

For example, even when I'm not looking at my guitar leaning on my bed, I can still describe it in the language of sense experience. I can say that it is smooth, hard and yellowish brown, and that it is leaning on my bed.

Apple Example

If the world is a cinema...

Phenomenalists trap themselves in their own private cinema, but unlike idealists who believes the objects shown in the film will disappear when not perceived, Phenomenalists believes the objects still exist because there are still possible sense experiences.

In addition, Phenomenalists believe everything that appears or might appear on the screen can be described in the language of sense experience.

WE KNOW IT IS:

AN APPLE!

- hard

- sweet

- smooth

- crispy

This is a bundle of sense-data we receive from perceiving the object. BUT, we can still receive this bundle when not directly looking at the apple.

By philosophers Sophie and Vivian

Sir Alfred Jules Ayer (1910-1989)

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)

Proposed the most famous form of Phenomenalism.

Something can only be true if it can be verified by some experience.

The Verification principle: We can tell that the Amazon river is the longest river in the world since we can see its length from satellite photos. But if someone says "I am invisible when I close my eyes and no one else is looking ", it cannot be true according to Ayer, since there's no way to verify that the person is actually invisible.

"The most influential English-speaking philosopher of the nineteenth century"

Utilitarianism: the morally best action is the one that makes the most overall happiness or "utility"

All our knowledge comes directly from sense perceptions

God’s power must be limited because of the existence of evil. If God were all-powerful, why would evil still exist?

British Philosopher

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)

QUESTIONS?

Transcendental idealism: Human beings experience only appearances, not things in themselves.

Appearances are not absolutely real because their existence and properties depends on human perceivers.

Makes a distinction between noumenal (things as it is) and phenomenal (things we perceive through sense experiences) selves.

German Philosopher