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I don't understand the point: we could both be seeing a red car (which is objectively red, in the sense that it has a wavelength of 625–740 nm) but we could be

I don't understand the point: we could both be seeing a red car (which is objectively red, in the sense that it has a wavelength of 625–740 nm) but we could be perceiving it radically differently (for example, maybe my perception of red is exactly like your perception of blue) and language would never help us find out. In my world, that car, stop signs, fire extinguishers or chili peppers would look like the clear sky or sea water in yours. But we would never find out, because I would point at the car and say "red" (I have learned that all objects that look that way from my point of view are "red"), and you would agree that it's "red". There is no way to find out that our perception is different. But I guess my lack of understanding is because I haven't read Wittgenstein, so I hope to do so when I get the time. Thanks!

mabub24 5y ago
> There is no way to find out that our perception is different. Wittgenstein's point is more that there is no way in which a distinction of that kind could even be intelligible in the way that you have presented it. What is intelligible is our public behavior, namely our language use, so to find out if what you perceive is different you can ask someone if you're looking at the same thing, if it has the same characteristics, etc. He would point to the fact that we don't have radical uncertainty in our day to day life and perception. The philosophical question is a question of sense and nonsense around the concept rather than a metaphysical question about an "inside" vs. an "outside". I would really recommend reading Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations if you are interested in these kinds of questions, it's incredibly influential in philosophy precisely because of the way it approaches "age-old" problems in ways that lead to clarity and very interesting results.

mabub24 5y ago

> There is no way to find out that our perception is different. Wittgenstein's point is more that there is no way in which a distinction of that kind could even be intelligible in the way that you have presented it. What is intelligible is our public behavior, namely our language use, so to find out if what you perceive is different you can ask someone if you're looking at the same thing, if it has the same characteristics, etc. He would point to the fact that we don't have radical uncertainty in our day to day life and perception. The philosophical question is a question of sense and nonsense around the concept rather than a metaphysical question about an "inside" vs. an "outside". I would really recommend reading Wittgenstein's Philosophical Investigations if you are interested in these kinds of questions, it's incredibly influential in philosophy precisely because of the way it approaches "age-old" problems in ways that lead to clarity and very interesting results.