Dr. Stephen Hicks

The other thing I would say, or actually there's two other things. One is, as you described the process, you say out there, there's the slap, there are sound waves. We are making realist claims. There really was a slap. There really are structured energy patterns.

The other thing I would say, or actually there's two other things. One is, as you described the process, you say out there, there's the slap, there are sound waves. We are making realist claims. There really was a slap. There really are structured energy patterns.

The other thing I would say, or actually there's two other things. One is, as you described the process, you say out there, there's the slap, there are sound waves. We are making realist claims. There really was a slap. There really are structured energy patterns.

And we really do have in our ears or in our hands receptors that are in place that respond to some energy patterns and don't respond to other energy patterns. And all of that, we are making reality claims. And we're saying that then there are causal processes that go on inside the physiological system of the human being. Some of them, as you say, operate in parallel.

And we really do have in our ears or in our hands receptors that are in place that respond to some energy patterns and don't respond to other energy patterns. And all of that, we are making reality claims. And we're saying that then there are causal processes that go on inside the physiological system of the human being. Some of them, as you say, operate in parallel.

And we really do have in our ears or in our hands receptors that are in place that respond to some energy patterns and don't respond to other energy patterns. And all of that, we are making reality claims. And we're saying that then there are causal processes that go on inside the physiological system of the human being. Some of them, as you say, operate in parallel.

They have feedback loops and so forth. I think I'm a very minimal empiricist on this, is to say that empiricism only insists that There really is a reality. Well, there is a reality, and it has these patterns that we're not making up those patterns, and we're not imposing those patterns on the reality.

They have feedback loops and so forth. I think I'm a very minimal empiricist on this, is to say that empiricism only insists that There really is a reality. Well, there is a reality, and it has these patterns that we're not making up those patterns, and we're not imposing those patterns on the reality.

They have feedback loops and so forth. I think I'm a very minimal empiricist on this, is to say that empiricism only insists that There really is a reality. Well, there is a reality, and it has these patterns that we're not making up those patterns, and we're not imposing those patterns on the reality.

Instead, what we call our sensory receptors is an array of cells that if there are certain structures in reality, they will respond. but they're not making up those structures in reality. So my nose, for example, has no... Or at least sometimes they're not making them up. Well, okay, but the sometimes comes later. Yeah. Okay, and we can come to that.

Instead, what we call our sensory receptors is an array of cells that if there are certain structures in reality, they will respond. but they're not making up those structures in reality. So my nose, for example, has no... Or at least sometimes they're not making them up. Well, okay, but the sometimes comes later. Yeah. Okay, and we can come to that.

Instead, what we call our sensory receptors is an array of cells that if there are certain structures in reality, they will respond. but they're not making up those structures in reality. So my nose, for example, has no... Or at least sometimes they're not making them up. Well, okay, but the sometimes comes later. Yeah. Okay, and we can come to that.

So my nose, for example, has all kinds of chemical structures out there. It doesn't have a pre-existing theory that out there in reality there are dead rotting things.

So my nose, for example, has all kinds of chemical structures out there. It doesn't have a pre-existing theory that out there in reality there are dead rotting things.

So my nose, for example, has all kinds of chemical structures out there. It doesn't have a pre-existing theory that out there in reality there are dead rotting things.

right it's just that if i happen to encounter dead rotting things then certain chemicals will be laughing and then my my nose will respond and things will happen in a certain way that's important whether you say what our noses are doing is kind of imposing a structure on an unstructured reality. And that takes you down the skeptical road versus... Yeah, the nose is a particularly good example.

right it's just that if i happen to encounter dead rotting things then certain chemicals will be laughing and then my my nose will respond and things will happen in a certain way that's important whether you say what our noses are doing is kind of imposing a structure on an unstructured reality. And that takes you down the skeptical road versus... Yeah, the nose is a particularly good example.

right it's just that if i happen to encounter dead rotting things then certain chemicals will be laughing and then my my nose will respond and things will happen in a certain way that's important whether you say what our noses are doing is kind of imposing a structure on an unstructured reality. And that takes you down the skeptical road versus... Yeah, the nose is a particularly good example.

Right, versus saying that the structures are there and what we have are just latent reception structures that if those structures happen to be present will be responsive. And that thing is all of the... the empiricists are saying. Now, all of the other stuff where we say, okay, the background set, I came to the slab with a background set, you came with a different background set.

Right, versus saying that the structures are there and what we have are just latent reception structures that if those structures happen to be present will be responsive. And that thing is all of the... the empiricists are saying. Now, all of the other stuff where we say, okay, the background set, I came to the slab with a background set, you came with a different background set.