perception is reality: a skeptical viewpoint

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“Perception is Reality” - A skeptical viewpoint “The truth isn't just a derivative of your views.” - Epica, Monopoly on Truth

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My PowerPoint presentation - "Rerception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint"I created a very basic PowerPoint for one of my grad level Psychology classes arguing for a reasonable understanding of "Perception is Reality" while showing why some unreasonable variations fail.

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Page 1: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

“Perception is Reality” - A skeptical viewpoint

“The truth isn't just a derivative of your views.”

- Epica, Monopoly on Truth

Page 2: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

You might have heard (or believe):

Truth is relative. Individuals determine what is true.

There is no such thing as truth. Everyone can be right about anything. What people believe 'is true for them.'

Since we can't be certain, there is no truth.

Where, if anywhere, does 'perception is reality' fall in to those ideas? Are these ideas tenable?

Page 3: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

The phrase “perception is reality” was uttered quite often in class

...but what does this really mean?

...and how 'far' do the implications extend?

...and how can philosophy inform our understanding?

Page 4: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

What the textbook has to say

“...who makes the rules for what is simple and what's not?” (p.17)

“...descendants of Freud [...] view reality as inseparable from the observer – one person's

truth may not be the same as another's” (p. 67)

Page 5: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

“The demise of the totally objective therapist/observer arose from [...] Einstein's

relativity theory, quantum physics, and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.” (p. 67)

“Adler believed that individual's perceptions, rather than some objective external criterion,

determined their views of reality.” (p. 110)

Page 6: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

Carl Rogers “argued that the most important factor in understanding a given individual is his

(the individual's) perceptions of reality, because for the person, perception is reality.”

(p. 156)

Freud believed “There was a clear and consistent truth, rooted in physical reality.”

(p. 67)

Page 7: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

Three understandings

Individuals' beliefs constitute how they believe the world actually is.

How persons see the world is how the world actually is 'for them.'

One person's truth may not be the same as another's [Neo-Freudians]. Truth, then, is relative.

There is no objective truth.

Page 8: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

Before we start...some basic philosophy!

Law of the excluded middle: A statement is either true or not true.

Law of non-contradiction:Two contradictory statements can't both be

true.

Philosophical realism:There exists an reality independent of what we

might think of it.

Page 9: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

'Truth Relativism'

Truth relativism is the idea that that truth [about matters of objective reality] differs from

individual to individual.

On this account, there is no such thing as objective truth.

...but this view is really, really, really problematic.

Page 10: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

Problems with 'Truth Relativism'

We're forced to accept contradictions.

Sue says the grass is green.

Bob says the grass is not green (or is blue).

They both can't be right.

Page 11: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

We'd have to deny truths about simple matters.

We can't say that the grass is green!

After all, Bob says it is not.

Page 12: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

We would have to accept absurdities

Physic powers, talking to the dead, ghosts, 'energy healing,' bloodletting, penis envy, mind

reading, existence of Santa Claus...

(sorry to burst your bubble!)

Page 13: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

If 'truth relativism,' non-truth relativism?

If Bob says that the truth is relative from person to person, can't Sue simply say that the truth is

not relative from person to person?

'On' truth relativism, neither is right!

Page 14: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

Truth relativism is self-refuting!

After all, isn't the statement 'there is no truth' a truth in itself?

The statement 'truth differs from person to person' faces similar problems.

Page 15: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

All who deny the existence of a wall could get into a car and drive straight into the wall at a

speed proportional to their lack of belief...

- Philosopher and Mathematician Bertrand Russell (paraphrase)

Page 16: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

Understanding three,

“One person's truth may not be the same as another's. There is no objective truth.

Truth is relative.”

is defeated.

Page 17: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

...but what about understanding two?

“How persons see the world is how the world actually is 'for them.'”

Page 18: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

Since an external reality exists [recall realism], the phrase “true for you” is incoherent.

Something is either true or not true [recall law of excluded middle].

Facts are not so just because everyone believes.(The earth isn't flat even if everyone believes it to

be so!)

Page 19: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

The accurate understanding of 'perception is reality' is “Individuals' beliefs constitute how

they believe the world actually is.”

Adler and Freud were right.

Rogers and neo-Fruedians were mistaken.

Our textbook authors were very confused when they wrote about parsimony and scientific

advancements.

Page 20: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

Psychological Applications

A client has been abused throughout his life...he sees the world as fundamentally unjust.

A client has had many negative experiences with Latin-Americans...

she thinks Latin-Americans are 'bad people.'

A client was attacked by a pitbull...he believes all pitbulls are very dangerous

Page 21: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

All of the clients mentioned have distorted views about reality.

They believe their views are accurate.

Alas, 'perception is reality,' but this is how they see the world, not how the world actually is

Page 22: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

Some Concerns...

The truth is difficult [or maybe impossible] to attain about some matters.

People can't be persuaded.

Personal opinions/tastes/favorites

Cultural factors

Page 23: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

Value judgments

Tolerance, Diversity, Pluralism

“Truth changes”

Religion, Politics, Morality

Page 24: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

“There is no reason whatsoever to think that believing the truth is always impossible; the best that could be claimed is that there is no guarantee in any given case that we have achieved the state of believing the truth.”

- Jonathan Kvanvig

Page 25: Perception is Reality: A Skeptical Viewpoint

Questions?

Comments?

Concerns?