George Orwell, objectivity, and the reality behind illusions.
Perception July 1, 2022 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1177/03010066221094756 via PubMed
Summary
Illusions are often defined as perceptions that depart from objective reality, but some argue this definition is invalid because sensory systems cannot truly represent external reality, which may even be a fiction. This paper first warns, via George Orwell, that denying objective reality is dangerous, as it can suppress independent thought. It then argues that anti-realists mistakenly assume a reductionist metaphysics where only fundamental physics is real. Instead, a non-reductive metaphysics recognizes multiple levels of reality—from subatomic to ecological—making objective reality partly accessible to the senses and allowing a valid definition of illusions as deviations from veridical perception.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | A non-reductive metaphysics that recognizes multiple levels of reality supports the validity of objective reality and the definition of illusions as deviations from veridical perception. |
Abstract
Illusions are commonly defined as departures of our percepts from the veridical representation of objective, common-sense reality. However, it has been claimed recently that this definition lacks validity, for example, on the grounds that external reality cannot possibly be represented truly by our sensory systems, and indeed may even be a fiction. Here, I first demonstrate how novelist George Orwell warned that such denials of objective reality are dangerous mistakes, in that they can lead to the suppression and even the atrophy of independent thought and critical evaluation. Second, anti-realists assume their opponents hold a fully reductionist metaphysics, in which fundamental physics describes the only ground truth, thereby placing it beyond direct human sensory observation. In contrast, I point to a more recent and commonly used alternative, non-reductive metaphysics. This ascribes real existence to many levels of dynamic systems of information, emerging progressively from the subatomic to the biological, psychological, social, and ecological. Within such a worldview the notion of objective reality is valid, it comes in part within the range of our senses, and thus a definition of illusions as kinds of deviations from veridical perception becomes possible again.