Logical Positivism and Realism
Moritz Schlick (1882-1936)
Austrian philosopher
Logical positivist
The Verification Principle: the meaning of a non-tautological statement is its method of
verification.
The realism/anti-realism debate is a non-issue
►Both scientific realism and metaphysical realism
The external world
There are two ways to talk about the external world:
1. From a daily life point of view
2. From a philosophical point of view
The external world in daily life
Daily life contrasts the internal world of memories, thoughts, dreams, and feelings, with the
external world of mountains, trees, houses, etc.
To say that these things exist is just to say that we know how to verify whether an external object
is there.
Is there a tree outside?
Yes, for I look outside, and see a tree, and I could go touch the tree, etc.
Was this tree there before I look?
Yes, for this is quite an old tree and it could not be there now if it has not been growing there
for years.
Does this tree exist independently of me?
Yes, for it is unlike a dream, hallucinations, or illusion in various ways: other people agree that
the tree is there, I can verify that this is not a trick in various ways, etc.
The external world in philosophy
Philosophy contrasts the internal world of ideas (perceptions/sensations as well as thought,
imagination, dream, etc.), with the external world of a unknowable ‘transcendent reality’ behind
the reality of daily life.
This view originates from the formerly popular thesis that to know an object requires direct
experience of it.
The discovery that we only have direct experience of our own ideas, not of the objects
themselves, thus implied that we know nothing of these external objects.
But this conclusion arise from a confusion.
We must distinguish between knowledge in general, and a type of knowledge, i.e., knowing by
experience or by acquaintance.
Indirect knowledge is still knowledge.
We can legitimately infer knowledge of other things from our ‘sense data’.
Schlick on metaphysical realism
Docsity.com
