Direct and Indirect Realism

Direct realism and indirect realism are two theories in the philosophy of perception. Direct realism posits that we perceive the world directly as it is; when we see an object, we are directly aware of that object itself. In contrast, indirect realism argues that we do not directly perceive objects but instead perceive representations in our mind, influenced by our senses. This means we’re only indirectly aware of the external world through these mental images. Essentially, direct realism connects us straight to reality, while indirect realism suggests a mediated experience influenced by our sensory processes.