Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show that some form of direct realism concerning vision is false. Section 1 defines what it is to see things directly and identifies naïve realism as the target of criticism. Section 2 criticizes naïve realism by arguing that we cannot phenomenally be conscious of three dimensional shapes of physical objects, and also explains how we see physical objects and why we are naïve realists before starting philosophical thinking. The final section concludes with some remarks about the character and limits of my argument against direct realism.