LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 23:1 January 2023
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

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Revisiting the Theory of Appearing

Nate Mulder Bunce

According to William Alston, the first prominent exposition of the Theory of Appearing (TA) is in H. A. Prichard’s 1909 work Kant’s Theory of Knowledge. The latter argues for a specific interpretation of Immanuel Kant’s account of perception to place it in line with TA. Prichard uses the theory as a way to save Kant from falling into the same skepticism he so rigorously attempting to disprove. The Theory of Appearing, therefore, is developed in specific opposition to the theories of sense datum which conceptualize perception as a subject’s apprehension of sensory ‘data’ presumably caused by the object it is meant to represent.

Whether TA is successful in avoiding the skepticism which has so long plagued theories of sense datum, however, is still unclear. Critics of TA (and different interpreters of Kant) range from claiming the theory falls just as easily into skepticism as (to use John Searle’s term) the ‘Way of Ideas’ to seeing the theory as a successful avoidance of that pitfall. This paper aims to evaluate the TA, and critiques against it, to determine whether the Theory of Appearing offers a plausible alternative to skepticism.

Although TA has never enjoyed prolonged popularity, its currency peaked among philosophers in the first half of the 20th century. Philosophers such as H. A. Prichard, G. E. Moore, and Wilfred Sellars adopted TA in opposition to the Way of Ideas, which was the most prominent theoretical strand of their contemporaries. As support of TA rose, so did criticism: H. H. Price and Roderick M. Chisholm were among those criticizing the Theory of Appearing. Due to wounds inflicted by critics as well as a dwindling support base, the theory’s recognition dwindled. Recently, the theory has once again been taken up as a viable epistemic system. Notable champions of TA in the last few decades include William Alston and Harold Langsam. This paper will investigate the contemporary relevance of the Theory of Appearances by bringing together its proponents and detractors in a critical confrontation.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Nate Mulder Bunce
natemulder@outlook.com
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