Realism and Appearances: An Essay in OntologyThis book addresses one of the fundamental topics in philosophy: the relation between appearance and reality. John Yolton draws on a rich combination of historical and contemporary material, ranging from the early modern period to present-day debates, to examine this central philosophical preoccupation, which he presents in terms of distinctions between phenomena and causes, causes and meaning, and persons and man. He explores in detail how Locke, Berkeley and Hume talk of appearances and their relation to reality, and offers illuminating connections and comparisons with the work of contemporary philosophers such as Paul Churchland and John McDowell. He concludes by offering his own proposal for a 'realism of appearances', which incorporates elements of both Humean and Kantian thinking. His important study will be of interest to a wide range of readers in the history of philosophy, the history of ideas, and contemporary philosophy of mind, epistemology and metaphysics. |
Contents
Mind matter and sense qualia | 9 |
Causing and signifying | 26 |
Actions and persons | 42 |
Locke on the knowledge of things themselves | 57 |
The notions of Berkeleys philosophy | 77 |
Humes appearances and his vocabulary of awareness | 99 |
Humes ontology | 112 |
The realism of appearances | 133 |
| 146 | |
| 151 | |
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Common terms and phrases
actions Alciphron antinomy awareness belief Berkeley Berkeley's brain events causal relation cause chapter characterizes Churchland claim cognitive color concept conscious corpuscular structure Crito Deely Descartes Descartes's Dialogue direct realism discover discussion distinction doctrine of signs effect eighteenth-century Enquiry Essay Euphranor example existence experience and observation external objects F. H. Bradley Hume Hume's Hylas Ibid idea-signs impressions Kant Kant's knowledge language Locke Lysicles Malebranche McDowell meaning mental mental events mind moral nature nerves and brain neural events neural networks neuroscientist nonphysical ontology ordinary passage Paul Churchland perceiver perceiver-dependent Perception and Reality Perceptual Acquaintance person phenomena Philonous philosophers phrase physical events physical objects powers present primary qualities processes properties property dualism question realism of appearances reason refers Representationalisms rience Section sensation of red sense qualia sensible sensory speaks specific springs and principles substance suggestion supervenience talk term idea term notion theory things thought tion Treatise Winkler words writers