American Socrates

Is Seeing Really Believing?

Charles M. Rupert Season 1 Episode 10

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We trust our eyes, but should we? This episode dives into the philosophy of perception, exploring whether seeing really is believing—or if our senses deceive us more often than we think. We break down Descartes' Wax Argument and why he doubted the reliability of perception, examine Gettier's famous counterexamples that challenge what it means to know something, and explore Kant's Transcendental Idealism, which suggests that reality as we perceive it is shaped by the mind itself. From optical illusions to deepfake technology, we ask: Can we ever truly know the world, or are we just interpreting shadows on the wall?

 is seeing believing, philosophy of perception, Descartes wax argument, Gettier problem, Kant transcendental idealism, epistemology and truth, perception vs reality, illusion vs knowledge, how do we know what’s real, philosophy podcast.

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