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    The existence of matter cannot be inferred from the prima... — Carmelics
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    Home/Skepticism
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    The existence of matter cannot be inferred from the prima facie existence of sensa

    Perception
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    2 reasons for
    1 reason against

    Reasons For

    2 perspectives
    Reason for 1 of 2
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    • 1.Any inference from sensa to matter requires a causal principle connecting subjective experience to external objects, but such principles are themselves derived from sensory experience.
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    • 2.Hume demonstrated that causal relations are not logically necessary connections but habit-formed expectations, making cross-domain inference from percepts to material causes epistemically unjustified.
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    • 3.A circular inference cannot ground ontological conclusions: using sense-experience to validate the causal principle that licenses inference from sensa to matter begs the very question at issue.
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    Reason for 2 of 2
    ?
    • 1.Russell's own distinction between knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by description shows that sensa are directly known, while matter is only hypothetically described as their cause.
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    • 2.A hypothetical entity posited purely as an explanatory cause inherits no determinate properties from the phenomena it purports to explain, leaving its existence underdetermined by any finite set of sensa.
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    • 3.Berkeley's esse est percipi argument establishes that the concept of an unperceived material substratum is not merely unverified but positively incoherent, removing the target of the inference entirely.
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    Reasons Against

    1 perspective
    Reason against
    ?
    • 1.It is erroneous to believe that matter, as the presumed outside cause of a sensum, has the same qualities as a sensum
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    • 2.The inference from sensa to matter assumes matter shares the qualities of sensa, which is unwarranted
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    Related

    A circular inference cannot ground ontological conclusions: using sense-experien...A hypothetical entity posited purely as an explanatory cause inherits no determi...Any inference from sensa to matter requires a causal principle connecting subjec...Berkeley's esse est percipi argument establishes that the concept of an unpercei...
    +4 moreShow less
    Hume demonstrated that causal relations are not logically necessary connections ...It is erroneous to believe that matter, as the presumed outside cause of a sensu...Russell's own distinction between knowledge by acquaintance and knowledge by des...The inference from sensa to matter assumes matter shares the qualities of sensa,...

    Similar

    The inference from sensa to matter assumes matter shares the qualities...83%What genuinely exists has no simple parts, and sensa fail this conditi...78%It is erroneous to believe that matter, as the presumed outside cause ...76%The ability to doubt the existence of matter while not doubting one's ...74%

    Source

    AI-extracted1/3 agreementValid
    SEP: idealism
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    The existence of matter can also not be inferred on the basis of the prima facie existence of what I perceive “by means of the sense organs of our bodies”, i.e., of what he calls “sensa” (NE §373), because it is erroneous to believe that matter as the presumed outside cause of a sensum has the same qualities as a sensum and thus has to exist (NE §365). He conjectures that if there are outside causes of sensa they must be substances which are “of a spiritual nature” (NE §371). When it comes to (c
    Extraction notes

    Validity: Extracted via Max plan + API grounding/validity checks

    Details

    Type
    claim
    Perspectives
    3 (2 for, 1 against)
    Edits
    1 edit