Philosophical Realism [mind independent reality] argument as below is circular.
- 1. There exists [as real] an external world (reality) with properties and entities independent of human minds.
2. Appearance is not-that-independent_thing-which-appears
3. That-independent_thing-which-appears exists as real.
-Perceptions are not that-which-is perceived
-Knowledge-of is not the-known
-description-of is not the-described
-what is mental is not the real physical matter-of-fact
The above argument is circular because the p-realists offer no "proofs" nor justification to confirm their P1.
They rely on the very idea of an independent reality (P1) to justify the limitations of appearances (P2).
Here are the Problems with P2,
1. Appearance is not-that-independent_thing-which-appears implies there is a REALITY-GAP between the appearances and the-appeared.
This is problem associated with Indirect Realism.
How can we know, P2 entails P1?
The best p-realists can do is to 'mirror' or correspond P2 with P1.
This bring along its negative baggage associated with Representations.
Note also Meno's paradox.
Note the limitation of Foundationalism.
2. As with Descartes'
the appearances that what are perceived could be a deception by and evil demon.
3. There are also the loads of problem associated with Skepticism.
4. Since, perceptions, appearances, knowledge, truths, descriptions which are human-based are never fully reliable, how can they definitely justify or prove the existence of P1, "There exists [as real] an external world (reality) with properties and entities independent of human minds."
4. PH had in rare moments refer to science as the basis to justify P1.
But scientific methods [within the scientific FSERC] rely on human interpretation and observation. How can we be sure our scientific instruments and interpretations aren't also influenced by our subjective realities?
"How can a system [science] built on perception definitively prove the existence of an independent reality it can never directly access?"
The truer picture of science is that science is never about ontology [what exists] but rather that the purpose of science is to facilitate do predictions very well and improving on it in time to sustain the well-being of humanity.
Here science merely ASSUME there is something out there awaiting discovery.
5. The "that-independent_thing-which-appears" is literally the noumenon [thing-in-itself] which Kant has proven it cannot exists as real but rather it is an illusion [when realists belief and reify it is real].
The realistic alternative to 'what is reality' is the antirealism of Kantian Constructivism and other similar antirealists ideas contingent upon a human-based framework and system of emergence & realization of reality and its subsequent perception, cognition, knowing and description.