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12. Knowledge Sources / B. Perception / 4. Sense Data / a. Sense-data theory

[theory that sense-data actually exist]

23 ideas
The qualities of the world are mere appearances; reality is the motions which cause them [Hobbes]
Appearance and reality can be separated by mirrors and echoes [Hobbes]
Direct feeling of the senses are merely data; perception of the world comes with understanding causes [Schopenhauer]
In 1921 Russell abandoned sense-data, and the gap between sensation and object [Russell, by Grayling]
Seeing is not in itself knowledge, but is separate from what is seen, such as a patch of colour [Russell]
After 1912, Russell said sense-data are last in analysis, not first in experience [Russell, by Grayling]
'Sense-data' are what are immediately known in sensation, such as colours or roughnesses [Russell]
We live in sense-data, but talk about physical objects [Wittgenstein]
Positivists prefer sense-data to objects, because the vocabulary covers both illusions and perceptions [Ayer, by Robinson,H]
The concept of sense-data allows us to discuss appearances without worrying about reality [Ayer]
Maybe 'sense-data' just help us to talk about unusual perceptual situations [Lacey]
Sense-data are neutral uninterpreted experiences, separated from objects and judgements [Angeles]
We can be looking at distant stars which no longer actually exist [Dancy,J]
Visual sense data are an inner picture show which represents the world [Blackburn]
Sense data avoid the danger of misrepresenting the world [Williams,M]
Sense data imply representative realism, possibly only representing primary qualities [Audi,R]
Sense-data (and the rival 'adverbial' theory) are to explain illusions and hallucinations [Audi,R]
Sense-data leads to either representative realism or phenomenalism or idealism [Robinson,H]
One can taste that the wine is sour, and one can also taste the sourness of the wine [Crane]
The traditional supports for the sense datum theory were seeing double and specks before one's eyes [Crane]
The structure of the retina has already simplified the colour information which hits it [Chalmers]
'Sense-data' arrived in 1910, but it denotes ideas in Locke, Berkeley and Hume [Mautner]
Sense-data have an epistemological purpose (foundations) and a metaphysical purpose (explanation) [Maund]