ontological_realist wrote:Your comment below is very interesting and deserves further investigations.
You wrote, "I suspect that most people believe their perceptions are of real things because of a life long of indoctrination, ...even though there is absolutely no rational justification to believe such."
Can you explain what you mean giving examples to reduce ambiguities?
Sure, but first let me start by restating -- it is 'non-sensical' to claim that one can see 'other' than what one actually sees (...without some rational explanation/justification). It is similarly non-sensical to claim that one can see the Emperor's clothes when there are none to be seen.
Claiming to perceive 'reality' (real things) when one can only perceive 'perceptions' (mental impressions) is logically incoherent. Claiming to see X, when one sees Y, begs for some rational explanation/justification.
But none is ever given.
Only logical fallacies have been offered. Virtually every attempted explanation commits the logical fallacy of "begging-the-question", and with most of these also committing a secondary fallacy.
Examples include:
1. Begging-the-question --- perceptions vouching for the realness of perceptions. My mental impressions tell me that my mental impressions are real, therefore they are real. The man in my dream told me he was real, therefore he was. The suspect said he was innocent, therefore he was. The Bible is the true word of God because it says so in the Bible. The book I'm reading is true because it says "this is a true story" on page one. And finally, if you don't believe me, then just ask me, I'll tell you the truth.
Secondary (compounded) examples:
2. Bandwagon/popularity --- multiple perceptions agree, therefore the perception 'must' be real. 10 separate people in my hallucination told me that I was not hallucinating, therefore I must be perceiving real things and not hallucinating. 5 different perceptions (senses) tell me the chocolate bar in front of me is real, therefore since realness is determined by popularity, then the chocolate bar must be real.
3. Appeal-to-emotion --- the feel-goodness of the perceptions means that it must be real. The truths of science seem/feel to be the best approach to finding 'realness', therefore it is. Since you fear to step out in front of an oncoming train, the train must be real. My life has done well enough so far relying on perceptions, therefore they must be somewhat real. Solipsism is ugly and depressing, therefore things out there must be real.
4. Appeal-to-authority --- trusting an authority figure as the arbiter of truth. The highly-regarded Joe Schmo, or my professor/preacher/parent/peer says perceptions are of real things, therefore they are.
Again, perceptions cannot logically vouch for themselves, no matter how much we spin the reasoning, or want to believe otherwise. Those that believe perceptions are of real things do so via irrational reasoning, blind faith, or indoctrination.
The emperor is naked.