The Real Thing

[Philosophy Now]

Raul Casso takes Reality 101.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/142/The_Real_Thing

[psycho]

Raul Casso takes Reality 101.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/142/The_Real_Thing

I agree with the story that one builds conceptual models of reality.

We are blind to reality. We only distinguish a conceptual model of it.

Unconsciously we interpret to be homunculi that observe reality through the interior of the pupils. What seems doubtful to us is that the lenses are sharp or produce distortions that deform what is seen. All of that is a misinterpretation.

We only have an indirect perception of reality and the possible correspondence between our conceptual models and their foundation is only a matter of probability. But our effectiveness as agents shows that the models have a very good correspondence.

Something that adds complexity to the subject is that our nervous system adds qualia (superimposed labels that underline elements of reality that are relevant to our survival).

We synthesize patterns that correspond to models and also patterns that reflect relationships between models.

For added confusion, when processing concepts or communicating them, people atomize them. An object is not a closed concept but a section of a larger model that corresponds to reality (Ideally. But most people have different partial models of reality that coexist with each other and are often contradictory between them. Religious approach together to everyday approach, etc.). A concept is understood in terms of its relationships. We do not express it that way because it is as invisible to us as water to the fish.

The Essence idea tried to explain how we were able to understand identity. Having assigned a pattern to a entity, we are able to distinguish it under the most varied lights.

I do not agree that we deal with mental images in memory retrieval functions.

(it is enough to do the exercise of recovering the details of any of the most well-known and closest faces to us when those people are not present)

What greatly drove our effectiveness as agents is that we are social beings who share their concepts with other individuals who either confirm or correct them. It is included in our functioning that we consider that what the majority thinks is more likely to be true (greater correspondence between concept and reality).

A blessing and a misfortune.