Aren't Tables and Chairs Real?

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There are lots of people who say, you probably know the quote that's attributed to Rutherford, I think. In science, there's physics and there's stamp collecting. Right. And aren't there people who are a little bit more extremist about this and say that even things like tables and chairs aren't real? Right. What I'm interested in is the distinction that we make in everyday life and in science between things that we hypothesize, but then decide don't exist or that people claim exist, but we think there's no evidence for. And that's the distinction which I think I've got a good grip on.

Reality is a tricky thing. Is love real? What about the number 5? This is clearly a job for a philosopher, and James Ladyman is one of the world’s acknowledged experts. He and his collaborators have been championing a view known as “structural realism,” in which real things are those that reflect true, useful patterns in the underlying reality. We talk about that, but also about a couple of other subjects in the broad area of philosophy of science: the history and current status of materialism/physicalism, and the nature of complex systems. This is a deep one. Support Mindscape on Patreon or Paypal. James Ladyman obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Leeds, and is currently a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Bristol. He has worked broadly within the philosophy of science, including issues of realism, empiricism, physicalism, complexity, and information. His book Everything Must Go (co-authored with Don Ross) has become an influential work on the relationship between metaphysics and science. Web page Everything Must Go Academia.edu page PhilPeople profile Conversation with Raymond Tallis Structural Realism at the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.