"In order to find out how things really are one must understand the filters through which one perceives the world" Discuss and evaluate this claim.

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“In order to find out how things really are, one must understand the filters through which one perceives the world.” Discuss and evaluate this claim.

Megan McGill

Cand. #: 0828 022

December 5th, 2003

Word Count: 1443

“In order to find out how things really are one must understand the filters through which one perceives the world.” Discuss and evaluate this claim.

An atheist is sitting at a bus stop. A priest comes to sit beside him. The atheist asks the priest, “You believe in God, and I don’t. Am I wrong in your view?” The priest replies, “Just because I perceive God to be real does not mean you are wrong in your beliefs. My world may be different from yours, but we both feel that we are living and breathing. We at least hold this in common.” Two men, both with basic human needs, have different views about a Higher Being. Does one person have to be right? Is the circuitous phrase “how things really are” implying that there is one right answer to everything? Perhaps, this phrase refers to Plato’s claim of everything having an ideal, and what is perceived by man is a reflection of that ideal1. If this is the case, then the claim is suggesting that the ideal can be seen when all “filters” used in the pursuit of knowledge are understood. With God, one is referring to beliefs, and each of us has our own. Our beliefs are one example of a filter, and they bring us individuality. If people were to understand the filters, there would be no such thing as individuality leaving us to live like robots. In society as we have it today, each person has his/her own reality so to speak. This includes opinions, tastes, sensual perception, emotional intelligence, and so on and so forth– the reflections of the ideals according to Plato. Defining reality is as easy as defining what is meant by “how things really are”. Understanding what the filters are is as easy as saying why they are there. This essay will focus on the many listed problems by separating the claim into its individual components.

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“How things really are” is important to address in order to realize what understanding the filters of perception involves. Assuming that this phrase is another way of expressing reality could be impulsive. “Reality” is one word and hence more convenient for the essay writer to use in a discussion. Therefore, it could be argued that “how things really are” is deliberately used in place of “reality” despite the similar meanings at first-glance. The philosopher Hegel claims reality is simply consciousness2. Another may claim that popular perception or consensus amongst a group is reality. If the latter claim were true, the ...

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