Realist vs Idealist Final Blog post Section 11 Post 2

Realist

.. the Mediated concept of Truth, is that it first admits that there is no such thing as absolute, pure Truth. There is a reality, which may be abstract or sensual ... but one cannot access it/know it ..'in-itself'. One can only 'know' it within the socially constructed (or species-constructed) 'meditative-habits' of one's particular society/species/whatever. (Taborsky)

Important Books by Realist:

Nietszche’s Pre-Platonic Philosophers
Nietzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil

 



Important Realist Philosophers:

Friedrich Nietzsche

Aristotle

David Hume
 Albert Einstein
 René Descartes 
Baruch Spinoza

 



Is there a distinct, objective reality? "Reality" meaning a world that exists independently from individual perceptions. Some philosophers believe that there is a single reality that people perceive (skewed or not) through their senses. Ultimate reality is the world of physical objects.To understand an object, its ultimate form has to be understood, which will not change. A rock exists whether or not a person is aware of it. It can exist in the mind, not being physically there. Ultimately, the rock shares properties of all other rocks.

Aristotle...

"Metaphysics involves intuitive knowledge of unprovable starting-points (concepts and truth) and demonstrative knowledge of what follows them."

...began the origins of realism. He thought that a proper study of matter could bring about more distinct ideas. It was concluded that matter exists even without a mind to perceive it. {{Does a tree still make a sounds when it falls if no one is there to hear it?}} He linked philosophy with science. Study in one subject will aid us in the study of the other. We can then consider the physical make up of things to better understand their origin and purpose. He used a deductive method; reaching truths from generalizations starting with a major premise.

“The secret of happiness is to face the fact that the world is horrible, horrible, horrible.” (Bertrand Russell)

The quest for certainty has played a considerable part in the history of philosophy: it has been assumed that without a basis of certainty all our claims to knowledge must be suspect.(A.J. Ayer)  

Nothing seems of more importance, towards erecting a firm system of sound and real knowledge, which may be proof against the assaults of scepticism, than to lay the beginning in a distinct explication of what is meant by thing, reality, existence: for in vain shall we dispute concerning the real existence of things, or pretend to any knowledge thereof, so long as we have not fixed the meaning of those words. (George Berkeley)

If I ask you why you believe any particular matter of fact, which you relate, you must tell me some reason; and this reason will be some other fact, connected with it. But as you cannot proceed after this manner, in infinitum, you must at last terminate in some fact, which is present to your memory or senses; or must allow that your belief is entirely without foundation. (David Hume, 1737)