Class 12 Logic And Philosophy Chapter – 5 Realism – Naive Realism & Scientific Realism

Class 12 Logic And Philosophy Chapter – 5 Realism – Naive Realism & Scientific Realism The answer to each chapter is provided in the list so that you can easily browse throughout different chapter Assam Board Class 12 Logic And Philosophy Chapter – 5 Realism – Naive Realism & Scientific Realism and select needs one.

Class 12 Logic And Philosophy Chapter – 5 Realism – Naive Realism & Scientific Realism

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Also, you can read SCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per SCERT (CBSE) Book guidelines. These solutions are part of SCERT All Subject Solutions. Here we have given Assam Board Class 12 Logic And Philosophy Chapter – 5 Realism – Naive Realism & Scientific Realism Solutions for All Subject, You can practice these here…

D) Long type answers :- 4 marks each.

1) Distinguish between primary qualities and secondary qualities.

Ans:- The primary qualities and secondary qualities are :-

i) Primary qualities are inherent properties of an object. They are the fundamental qualities of an object in the sense that they are the objective qualities and the necessary properties of an object. But, secondary qualities are not fundamental to an object since they depend on the knower’s mind.

ii) Primary qualities remain unchanged through all the changes of time and place. For example the shape, extension etc. Of an object remain unchanged in all occassions. But secondary qualities may be changed from person to person, from place to place. For example, the taste or smell of an object may vary from person to person.

iii) According to Locke, the external objects are the main shelter of the primary qualities. But, both the external object and the knower’s mind are the shelter of the secondary qualities.

iv) Primary qualities reflect the idea of the mind directly because they are the unchanging properties of something. But secondary qualities may appear differently to different individuals. Locke is of the view that secondary qualities are some of the sensations generated by the primary qualities.

v) Since the primary qualities are objective, therefore they can only determine the original nature of an object. But secondary qualities are mind dependent. Therefore, they can not determine the exact nature of an object.

2) Write short note on Naive Realism.

Ans:- According to the Naive Realism, our ideas are exact copies of the external real things and their qualities. All the qualities of matter are real and objective existences in nature, they exist in things themselves. Naive Realism is the simplest form of Realism. According to this theory, the object of knowledge is independent of the knower’s mind. It is called Naive Realism because it is the common sense view about the external world in the most unphilosophical manner.

3) “The distinction between primary qualities and secondary qualities is unpsychological ” – Do you agree ? Give three reasons in support of your view.

Ans:- Yes, the distinction between primary qualities and secondary qualities is not satisfactory. Berkeley remarked that, like the secondary qualities, the primary qualities are also mind dependent. Firstly, if secondary qualities are subjective states or ideas of our mind, then the so – called primary qualities are also nothing but subjective states of mind. Secondary, both primary and secondary qualities very under different conditions. Thirdly, if the secondary qualities can not exist in relation to our sensibility then the so – called primary qualities are also can not exist except in relation to our sensibility.

4) Mention four fundamental features of Scientific Realism.

Ans:- The four fundamental features of Scientific Realism are :-

i) Like other forms of Realism, Scientific Realism also asserts that the object of knowledge is independent of the knower’s mind.

ii) We can not know an object directly. We can know it by its qualities. Primary qualities are independent of the knower’s mind. On the contrary, secondary qualities are mind dependent.

iii) We can not see an object. We can see only the copies or images of the objects.

iv) The process of knowledge is totally an independent process. The nature of an object is not affected by this process. Only copies or images are affected by this process.

5) Write short notes on Representationalism of John Locke.

Ans:- Locke’s distinction of primary and secondary qualities, gives a scientific interpretation of the nature of the external objects. He says that we can know an object only by the representation copy of the object. Therefore, Locke’s Scientific Realism is also regarded as Representationalism.

E) Long type answers:- 5 marks each.

1) What is Naive Realism ? What are the characteristics of Naive Realism ?

Ans:- Common people believe in the reality of the external objects which are outside and Independent of minds. Knowledge is an exact copy of representation of the extramental object. Realism is doctrine, which recognises the reality of the external world independent of minds. The kind of realism which common people believe is naive or popular realism. According to the Naive Realism, our ideas are exact copies of external real things and their qualities. All the qualities of matter are real and objective existences in nature, they exist in things themselves. Thus colour, taste, smell, heat and cold are as much absolute and objective qualities of things as extension, impenetrability, motion, rest, solidity and the like are – The former are called the primary qualities, while the later are called the secondary qualities. Matter and all their qualities exist and are known by the mind.

But all the qualities of matter are not equally essential to the very conception and existence of matter e.g. extension, impenetrability, shape, size and the like, whereas other qualities e.g. colour, smell, sound and temperature are inessential and variable qualities of matter. So all of them can not be regarded as equally objective qualities of matter.

Thus the characteristics of Naive Realism are as follows :-

i) The object of knowledge is independent of the knower’s mind. The existence of an external object does not depend on the knowledge of it by any knower. An object will continue to exist with all its qualities with or without any interference on it by the knower.

ii) There is an external world outside our mind.

iii) We obtain knowledge of the external world by perception. The nature of the external world is exactly same as the way a perceptor perceives it. That means an object is that what it appears to be.

iv) The knowledge of the external world is possible because of the qualities of the particular objects. The qualities of the objects are the inherent properties of them. The diverse qualities of an object like colour, taste, smell, extension, length etc. all are independent of the knowers mind.

v) The relation between the knower and the known is a direct relation. There is nothing that intervenes our knowing of any object.

vi) The object of our knowledge produces sensation in us. The sensation of an object is similar to everyone.

vii) Naive Realism supports the correspondence theory of truth.

2) What is Scientific Realism ? What are the characteristics of it ?

Ans:- John Locke advocates Scientific Realism, which draws a distinction between primary qualities and secondary qualities of matter. He regards the former as real and objective qualities of matter whereas he regards the latter as only subjective states or ideas of our mind.

In his book “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding,” Locke gives a detailed analysis of the nature of knowledge. He tries to explain the relationship between the knower and the known object scientifically. According to Locke, we can not know an object directly. We can have knowledge of an object only by the copy or image or representation of the object. We can know an object by the qualities it possesses. But all the qualities of an object are not independent of the mind. Some qualities are the inherent properties of an object, whereas, some dependent on the mind or the consciousness of the knower. As Locke’s theory is based on an analysis of the qualities of the external objects, therefore, sometimes it is also known as critical realism.

The characteristics of scientific realism of Locke are :-

i) Like the other forms of realism, scientific realism also asserts that the object of knowledge is independent of the knower’s mind.

ii) We can not know an object directly. We can know it by its qualities. Primary qualities are independent of the knower’s mind. On the contrary, secondary qualities are mind dependent.

iii) We can not see an object. We can see only the copies or images of the objects.

iv) The process of knowledge totally an independent process. The nature of an object is not affected this process. Only copies or images are affected by this process.

v) According to scientific realism knowledge is an indirect process. It is indirect in the sense that the object of knowledge can not be comprehended by the knower. Only the copy or image of an object is known by the knower.

vi) The original nature of an object can be manifested by the primary qualities only, because they are the unchanging and objective properties of an object.

3) Discuss critically Scientific Realism as a theory of Reality.

Ans:- Scientific Realism believes in the reality of the external objects. John Locke is an exponent of Scientific Realism. He draws a distinction between primary qualities and secondary qualities. Locke holds that primary qualities, viz., extension, impenetrability, motion, shape etc. are objective and real. But secondary qualities, viz., colour, taste smell etc. are subjective states or ideas of our mind. Because, secondary qualities vary under different conditions in the same object to different persons and to the same person at different times. What is sweet to one, is butter to another. Hence, these qualities do not belong to the objects themselves, and only subjective states of mind. Colours, tastes, sounds, temperatures cannot exist apart from our sensibility. Take away the sensations which we have of these qualities, let not the eyes see light or colours, nor the ears hear the sounds, let not the tongue taste, nor the nose smell nor the skin feel heat or cold and all colours, sounds, tastes, smells and temperatures will cease to exist. So, these qualities are not objective sensations produced in us by primary qualities of objects. So, our ideas are the representations of actual realities. Locke recognises the reality of matter as an unknown and unknowable substratum of primary qualities. Criticism – If the secondary qualities, colour, smell, taste etc. cannot exist in relation to our sensibility and so they are subjective states or ideas of our mind, then the so – called primary qualities, extension, motion, shape etc. cannot exist except in relation to our sensibility and so they are also subjective states of mind.

Again, if the secondary qualities are subjective states of our mind as they vary under different conditions, then the so – called primary qualities too are nothing but subjective states of our mind, as they too vary under different conditions.

4) Discuss critically Naive Realism as a theory or Reality.

Ans:- Common people believe the reality of the external world outside minds. Objects, according to them are not mind dependent. Knowledge is an exact copy or representation of the extra mental objects. Realism recognizes the reality of the external objects. Common people believe in Naive Realism.

According to Naive Realism, our ideas are exact copies of external world outside minds. Objects, according to them are not mind dependent, knowledge is an exact copy of representation of the extra mental objects. Realism recognizes the reality of the external objects. Common people believe in Naive Realism.

According to Naive Realism, our ideas are exact copies of external real things and their qualities. All the qualities of matter are real objective. They exist in things themselves. Thus colour, taste, smell, heat and cold are absolute and objective as extension, impenetrability, motion, rest etc. The former are called the primary qualities, while the later are called the secondary qualities. All the qualities, according to Naive Realism, are not equally essential and real. Primary qualities are inessential and variable, whereas secondary qualities are essential and real. So, all of them can not be regarded as equally objective qualities of matter.

Criticism – According to Naive Realism, primary qualities vary under different conditions. But secondary qualities also vary under similar conditions. The size of a thing varies from different distances. A thing appears heavy to one appears light to another.

Again, the primary qualities and secondary qualities can never be perceived apart from each other. Colour can not be perceived apart from extension. So, both colour and extension are ideas of our mind.

So, we can not draw a distinction between the primary and secondary qualities of object.

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