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Strengths of Idealism?

I'm doing an essay assessing idealism and I need to mention it's strengths and weaknesses, I can think of loads of weaknesses but no strengths really.

Can anyone help? :smile:

Reply 1

Calvin

Loads of weaknesses? Humpf! There's nothing wrong with idealism.

Umm... ok:
1. Remove all sensory percption of an object and what else is left? It seems impossible to conceive of an invisible, intangible, object with no causal influence on the world. If it doesn't do anything and we can't see or feel or taste it, then what are you saying when you say it's 'really there?'

2. All perceptions of an object are subject to change. Things feel hot or cold depending on how we feel and whether we're somewhere hot or cold. Things taste more bitter if we've just eaten something sweet, louder if we're used to listening to quite things, harder if we're used to soft things. They look blue if we shine a blue light on them, red if seen under red light. The shape of a table changes depending on where we stand. A coin which is 'actually round' looks eliptical from the side. How does this incontrovertible evidence support the claim that there is a 'real object which is really a certain colour, actually has a certain shape, really feels like this etc'? The claim that there is a real object isn't supported by the evidence which seems to always be changing. You might say 'it's actually round/blue/hot/solid/bitter because this is how it tastes under 'normal circumstances'' But how are you going to define normal circumstances over and above 'how most people see it?'

3. When you say 'I know there is a tree over there' surely the real tree doesn't really exist in your head. You just have some kind of representational idea of the tree. But then you don't really know there is a tree over there. You know the idea of a tree is associated with the idea of over there. So then your knowledge, belief etc isn't about the world, it's about the ideas. So it would seem as if we have no contact with the world, the things we see, we know etc are always just ideas, never the world.

Any help?

Reply 2

Sopheh

Calvin

Loads of weaknesses? Humpf! There's nothing wrong with idealism.

yeah... right.... I got about 6 weaknesses and 0 strengths...

well, 3 strengths now! Thanks to you! THANK YOOOOU! :smile:

That does help, mucho!

Reply 3

Calvin

Quality beats quantity :smile:

Reply 4

HearTheThunder

Idealism's one of my most hated :mad:

I mean, Phemonenalism's a little better but it still offers no explanation as to why everything is always "potential sense-data".

Reply 5

Calvin

Maybe a realism Vs idealism debate is called for? If I remember I'll start one soon unless someone beats me to it

Reply 6

HearTheThunder

Calvin

Maybe a realism Vs idealism debate is called for? If I remember I'll start one soon unless someone beats me to it

*sides with the representative realists* :p:

I'm playing John Locke in our Philosophy classes' "Christmas Philosophy Talkshow". :biggrin:

Reply 7

Calvin

Representative realisms?! Well then you're almost an idealist already! You just need somebody to hit you round the head with the veil of perception a few times. :smile: