NationStates Jolt Archive

I'm trying to find the name of the philosophical idea that each individual experiences a world that is unique to them. I have no idea where to start looking other than asking people.

What I mean (in case it's not clear) is that everyone experiences a unique world, and that what is true for one is not necessarily true for someone else. So, for example, a blind person living in a cave, would live in a world without a sun.

I'm not even really sure if there's a name for it, but if there is, I figured one of you might know.

Also, what do you guys think of it as a philosophy? I think it's interesting, but the problems with it are pretty big and hard to ignore. Like if the blind man I made up above came out of his cave, he'd still be able to feel the heat of the sun, so there must have been one all along. In which case, why was it not a part of his world all along? And if it was (which is the only conclusion I can draw from that) and he just didn't experience it, then how can there be individual, unique worlds for individual people?

I'm trying to find the name of the philosophical idea that each individual experiences a world that is unique to them. I have no idea where to start looking other than asking people.

What I mean (in case it's not clear) is that everyone experiences a unique world, and that what is true for one is not necessarily true for someone else. So, for example, a blind person living in a cave, would live in a world without a sun.

I'm not even really sure if there's a name for it, but if there is, I figured one of you might know.

Also, what do you guys think of it as a philosophy? I think it's interesting, but the problems with it are pretty big and hard to ignore. Like if the blind man I made up above came out of his cave, he'd still be able to feel the heat of the sun, so there must have been one all along. In which case, why was it not a part of his world all along? And if it was (which is the only conclusion I can draw from that) and he just didn't experience it, then how can there be individual, unique worlds for individual people?


Umm is it Existential Realism?

I'm trying to find the name of the philosophical idea that each individual experiences a world that is unique to them. I have no idea where to start looking other than asking people.

What I mean (in case it's not clear) is that everyone experiences a unique world, and that what is true for one is not necessarily true for someone else. So, for example, a blind person living in a cave, would live in a world without a sun.

I'm not even really sure if there's a name for it, but if there is, I figured one of you might know.

Also, what do you guys think of it as a philosophy? I think it's interesting, but the problems with it are pretty big and hard to ignore. Like if the blind man I made up above came out of his cave, he'd still be able to feel the heat of the sun, so there must have been one all along. In which case, why was it not a part of his world all along? And if it was (which is the only conclusion I can draw from that) and he just didn't experience it, then how can there be individual, unique worlds for individual people?

It's not that bad an idea, not perfect but some things fit. I mean we all expericance life from a realative standpoint don't we. The blind man in the cave may not even now that the sun exists, heh other questions about his experiance need to be asked.

It's not that bad an idea, not perfect but some things fit. I mean we all expericance life from a realative standpoint don't we. The blind man in the cave may not even now that the sun exists, heh other questions about his experiance need to be asked.

It's an interesting idea. The man in the cave may not know that the sun exists, but sun is responsble for heating the earth and making it habitable. Therefore the sun must still exist even in the blind man's world.

I think everyone has a unique experience of and perception of the world, at least.

Umm is it Existential Realism?

I think it's closer to idealism than realism. Realism seems to be (from skimming wikipedia) the belief that things exist outside of our perception, whereas idealism is the opposite.

It's an interesting idea. The man in the cave may not know that the sun exists, but sun is responsble for heating the earth and making it habitable. Therefore the sun must still exist even in the blind man's world.

I think everyone has a unique experience of and perception of the world, at least.

Ahhh but thats the point no? How do you convince the blind man in the cave that such a thing as the sun exists? We both know that it does but only because we have both percived it. What about something that you have not percived, can you be sure that The pink unicorn, or the Flying spagetti monster or even God does not exist?

Ahhh but thats the point no? How do you convince the blind man in the cave that such a thing as the sun exists? We both know that it does but only because we have both percived it. What about something that you have not percived, can you be sure that The pink unicorn, or the Flying spagetti monster or even God does not exist?

Whether something exists and whether someone knows something exists are two different things. The man may not be able to perceive the world and thus his experience of the world is unique to himself. It's not that the sun doesn't exist, he just doesn't know that it does.

That's epistemology, a branch of metaphysics. It is the study of knowing and how much we can know.

Whether something exists and whether someone knows something exists are two different things. The man may not be able to perceive the world and thus his experience of the world is unique to himself. It's not that the sun doesn't exist, he just doesn't know that it does.

Except the premise of the original position (the one I'm trying to find a name for) is that all that exists is`what you know to exist, or what you have experienced.