Do we have any reason to doubt appearances? And does perception show us intermediary mental representations or real objects themselves?

Michael Huemer's first book, Skepticism and the Veil of Perception, tackles both these questions at once. Huemer is a direct realist: he thinks that when we perceive, we're perceiving reality directly. This contradicts the common philosophical position ("indirect realism") that our perception is of mental objects which are images or representations of real objects to which we have no direct access. The usual challenges against direct realism involve an appeal to illusion and hallucination, though Huemer argues that these are less problematic than is often suggested. Huemer also argues that a direct realism (along with a correct general approach to epistemology) helps refute the famous skeptical arguments: the infinite regress of justification (the "Agrippan trilemma"), the "problem of the criterion", the famous brain in the vat, and Hume's argument against the possibility of induction.

Next week: Michael Huemer: Ethical Intuitionism

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Special thanks to Jackie Blum for the podcast art, and The Tin Box for the theme music.Click here for the full list of episodes!

Sources:Skepticism and the Veil of Perception (Michael Huemer)An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (David Hume)

Topics discussed:

0:42 - Introduction to Michael Huemer2:15 - Types of skepticism7:10 - Skeptical arguments9:27 - Direct realism and Hume's induction argument12:12 - Perception as foundational belief17:25 - Inferences about experiences?22:02 - Burden of proof23:31 - Radical fallibilism?29:40 - Kinds of appearances30:55 - Problem of criterion and burden shifting34:09 - Is skepticism self-defeating? Provision belief37:24 - Peter Klein's infinitism40:10 - Fallibilism and burden42:17 - Objection from illusion and hallucination44:57 - Direct v. indirect realism: what are representations?50:00 - Brain in the vat53:44 - Mary's room and qualia