Journal of East China Normal University (Philosoph ›› 2016, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (3): 70-76.doi: 10.16382/ j.cnki.1000-5579.2016.03.007

• 从知识到智慧 • Previous Articles     Next Articles

On the Doctrine of “the Given Is Objective Appearance”: A Case Study of JIN Yuelin and FENG Qi

HU Jun   

  • Online:2016-05-15 Published:2016-07-06
  • Contact: HU Jun
  • About author:HU Jun

Abstract: Directly starting from the normal perception of the subject, JIN Yuelins epistemology claims that the normal perception enables the subject directly grasp the external things that objectively exist. The normal perception constitutes the given, and the given the external things. In this sense, JIN concludes that “the given is objective appearance”. FENG Qi argues that JINs epistemology is a contribution since it overcomes the defects of the epistemology of subjective idealism and enables the subject directly grasp the external things. However, both of them have ignored the complex and subtle functions of the perception mechanism of the subject in the process of perceiving the external world, without realizing that even normal perception is a result of the interaction of external things and the perception mechanism of the subject. We have to conclude that the subject can only infer or analyze what external things probably are according to his perception, and we cannot say that external things are exactly what we have directly perceived.