External to my body is locational in that the pen is in a different location to my body.
External to my mind seems to be non-locational. My position is that the pen is in my mind and that I cannot know whether it has an existence independent of my mind. — philosophy
..Now since nothing is ever present to the mind but perceptions...it follows that 'tis impossible for us so much as to conceive or form an idea of any thing specifically different from ideas and impressions. — philosophy
"Unperceived object" isn't a contradictory term. "Object" doesn't mean "perceived." — Terrapin Station
How do you know that an object can exist independently of perception? You can never know this since it is, by definition, that which is independent of perception, i.e. experience — philosophy
The realist, in positing a mind-independent world, is making a claim beyond experience. — philosophy
The point, however, is that said existence cannot be justified on the basis of reason but on faith. I believe that a world independent of my mind exists but I cannot possibly know this. — philosophy
But why is this faith and not inductive logic? — Marchesk
guess it depends how you define ''faith''. — philosophy
I can make inferences that the tree continues to exist in the quad after nobody is perceiving it, but I can't infer that it's God keeping it there. — Marchesk
Again, why would you use the word "know" to only refer to "things that I am perceiving" — Terrapin Station
Is knowledge defined as "what I am perceiving" ? — Terrapin Station
I have repeatedly said that perception of an unperceived object is impossible, — philosophy
Beautiful, butI didn't ask you that. — Terrapin Station
Is knowledge defined as "What I am perceiving"? — Terrapin Station
Whatever I experience I experience as an idea in my mind. — philosophy
It follows from this that belief in the external world, i.e. a world independent of my experience of it, cannot be based on reason but on faith. — philosophy
In other words, of mind-independent matter I can say nothing at all. — philosophy
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