Philosophy If possible, use as source Author: Lewis Vaughn 1- Explain Locke's view that we can have knowledge of an external world despite our being directly aware only of sense data. D

1- Explain Locke’s view that we can have knowledge of an external world despite our being directly aware only of sense data. Do you agree with him, or do you side with his critics who say that we can know only the contents of our minds?

Introduction

In this section, we’ll examine Locke’s idea that we can know things about an external world despite being directly aware only of sense data. We’ll discuss what he means by this, how he thinks it’s possible, and who his critics are.

According to Locke, we can know that there is an external world because of the testimony of our senses.

According to Locke, we can know that there is an external world because of the testimony of our senses. To understand what he means by this, it’s important to first consider how a sensory experience works. Your eyes and ears provide you with information about the world around you through what he calls sensory ideas. For example:

You see something move in front of your face

You hear something sound nearby

This type of perception is called “sensory data” (i.e., it’s a kind of datum). The idea behind this concept is that all perceptions have some degree of similarity between them; they’re not exactly identical but they share enough similarities so that we can use them as indicators for other similar perceptions within our own experience—for example: If one person sees an object moving across their field-of-vision while another person hears it rustling leaves nearby, both people might make similar inferences about what caused those sounds based upon their respective experiences with objects at rest or motionless locations within their surroundings during past interactions with others who were present during those events described above.*

How do we know there are bodies in the outside world that cause our perceptions?

The senses are reliable. They provide us with information about the outside world and objects that are not in our immediate environment. For example, the sense of sight lets us know that there is a tree in front of me and my neighbor’s house behind me by means of light rays coming from each object. We can use these sensory experiences to form an idea about these things (e.g., their shape), which then leads us to infer other things about them (e.g., “It must be big because I can see its branches”).

Followup on the topic.

Can you give an example of something you know based on testimony?

What do you think of Locke’s opinion?

What is the difference between knowledge and belief?

You may have heard that we can have knowledge of an external world despite our being directly aware only of sense data. Do you agree with him, or do you side with his critics who say that we can know only the contents of our minds and not any true reality outside them.

Locke believes we can know what is going on in the outside world because our senses tell us so.

Locke believes we can know what is going on in the outside world because our senses tell us so. For example, if I see a tree and smell its flowers, then I can be certain that there is a tree and that it has flowers.

Locke says that we can know about the external world because our senses tell us so.

Conclusion

Locke believed that we can know what is going on in the outside world because our senses tell us so.