Symbolist/Idealist Theory and the Materialist/Realist

¶ … symbolist/idealist theory and the materialist/realist theory. The writer also names several theorists for each theory and their contribution to the theory. There were two sources used to complete this paper.

In the world of philosophical theory many ideas have been developed throughout history. Two theories however, have managed to withstand the test and scrutiny of time. The first theory is the materialist/realist theory, and the second theory is the symbolist/idealist theory. Each of these theories have strengths and weaknesses and each one has people in various fields that subscribe to them and their elements. While each person has to determine which theory is most sound to them, it is important to remember that one takes one's own life experiences and beliefs when making that choice. There are several key differences between the two that help define their foundational characteristics.

MATERIALIST/REALIST THEORY

For one to understand what a materialist/realist theory is about it is important for one to understand the characteristics of that theory. Some experts believe that the materialist/realist theory fails to provide an accurate view or account of the external world, while those that subscribe to its key factors believe it is the most accurate provider of elements of the external world (Here Is a Ready Made World (http://www.everything2.com/index.pl-node_id=1529599).

The theory is founded in the idea that "our ideas, sensations and experiences correspond with actual states of the external world (Here Is a Ready Made World (http://www.everything2.com/index.pl-node_id=1529599)."

Those who argue against the belief that this theory provides an accurate account of the external world believe that it relies far to heavily on the ready made world to make its observations.

A ready made world is one which, is such that correspondence to an object within the external world requires one correct correspondence (in other words, one correct answer) to the object itself. This is troubling because he feels that there could be more than one particular correspondence to an object in the external world (as this is a function of how the mind works- many minds equals many views to one expert, Putnam), which would lead to truth being relative to the correspondents, and thus, truth loses its status as arbiter of objective reality (Here Is a Ready Made World (http://www.everything2.com/index.pl-node_id=1529599)."

Those who disagree with Putnam's analysis believe that the ready made world provides a stable basis for accurately depicting the external world. Knowledge is based on the ready made world and the communication of that knowledge does indeed provide an accurate description of the external world in many cases (Here Is a Ready Made World (http://www.everything2.com/index.pl-node_id=1529599).

The theory relies heavily on the metaphysical aspects of life and the universe surrounding life.

Putnam goes on to use Kant's seminal views concerning how the mind is responsible for constructing our reality as a starting point with which to attack the materialist usage of correspondence theory (Here Is a Ready Made World (http://www.everything2.com/index.pl-node_id=1529599)."

SYMBOLISM/IDEALIST THEORY

The most important difference in the factors between materialist/realist and symbolism/idealist theories is direct experience as it relates to direct knowledge.

Experiences are concrete evidences of the external world through the use of the world as it is today. What someone experiences is tangible, definable and explainable therefore gives strength to the materialist/realist theory (http://websyte.com/alan/symbolsm.htm).

In the symbolic area of life things including emotions, feelings, induced actions or beliefs are all components of symbolism which are not as tangible or definable as actual experiences can be.

An adequate account of human mentality requires an explanation of how we can know truly, how we can err, and how we can critically distinguish truth from error. Such an explanation requires that we distinguish that type of mental functioning which by its nature yields immediate acquaintance with fact, from that type of functioning which is only trustworthy by reason of its satisfaction of certain criteria provided by the first type of functioning (http://websyte.com/alan/symbolsm.htm)."

One of the problems with the symbolism theory is it is difficult to distinguish which component are symbols and which are the meanings given the fact that neither element is definable or tangible in many cases.