Sense data

With the atomistic sense-data elements of consciousness have been identified since George Edward Moore, from which the objects of experience are put together. These are the simplest building blocks of perception, to the knowledge of materials, which are not further reduced or analyzable and thus be immediately and unquestionably.

Content

By the term " sense-data " should on the one hand to avoid the ambiguity of the concept of sensation, which has both nude as object importance, while " sense data " clearly refers only to the immediate objects of perception. Moreover, the term had a neutral double character, with the scale in previous terms dualism of subject-object distinction will be avoided. In this way prevents one side subjectivist or idealist consequences.

Share As in the earlier empirical tradition of the different theories of sensory data, especially the critique of naive realism in the material objects of the external world are the people in the perception given immediately and accessible. Such realism overlook the fact that data of things are taught and acquired only through the sense organs.

The sense data are, however, according to the theory "directly", by knowing that they are there, as long as they are given. With them therefore the question of truth does not arise. According to Bertrand Russell all empirical knowledge on sense-data and logical design should be traceable to them.

Sensory data must be adopted in order to verify empirical sentences of everyday life and the physics can; should be recourse only to them.

As ordinary things are to be considered in this case as complex compositions 'll Immanuel Kant epoch-making distinction between the thing-in -itself and appearance obsolete.

Development

So far could not be detected, in which plant who used the term first. In the 19th century it was about William James and AC Cutter comment to John Locke's Essay Essay Concerning Human Understanding familiar.

A terminological introduction took place in 1910 by George Edward Moore and Bertrand Russell in their own theories.

With the model, the tradition of British empiricism and sensationalism continues for, instead of sensory data, expressions like " idea ", " sensation " and " feeling " are common.