Concept of Appearance from "summary" of The Problems of Philosophy by Bertrand Russell
The world of appearance is one which we all naturally and inevitably accept, but which in certain respects philosophers regard with suspicion. The world of appearance is the world as it seems to us, as it appears to the senses. It is the world that is revealed to us by sight, by hearing, by touch, by taste, and by smell. It is the world that we perceive directly, without the need for any complicated intellectual processes. In this world, things seem to possess color, shape, size, and texture. They seem to be located in space and to endure through time. They seem to stand in various relations to one another, to move and to change. This is the world in which we live and move and have our being. The concept of appearance is one that has a long and complex history in the history of philosophy. It has been associated with various different doctrines and theories, some of which are more plausible than others. One of the most famous theories of appearance is that of the Greek philosopher Plato, who held that the world of appearance is a mere shadow or reflection of a higher and more real world of forms or ideas. According to Plato, the things that we see and touch and taste are not ultimately real, but are merely imperfect copies of the true and perfect forms that exist in a higher realm. Another famous theory of appearance is that of the British empiricist philosopher David Hume, who held that the world of appearance is nothing more than a succession of sense impressions, each of which is entirely separate and distinct from the others. According to Hume, there is no underlying unity or continuity to the world of appearance, and no reason to suppose that the things that we perceive are connected in any meaningful way. Hume's theory of appearance is often regarded as a form of skepticism, since it seems to imply that we can never know anything about the world beyond what is immediately present to our senses. In more recent times, the concept of appearance has been associated with the philosophy of phenomenology, which holds that the world of appearance is the only world that we can truly know. According to phenomenology, the world of appearance is not a mere illusion or distortion of reality, but is the very essence of reality itself. In the words of the phenomenologist Edmund Husserl, "To the things themselves!" This means that we should pay attention to the world of appearance as it presents itself to us, without trying to interpret it or explain it away.
Similar Posts
Our bodily experiences shape our understanding of reality
The way we experience the world is deeply intertwined with our bodily sensations. Our bodies are not just objects in the world,...
Artistic creation involves a balance between form and content
Artistic creation, as it is manifested in various forms of art, requires a delicate balance between two essential elements: for...