criticalrealism
Inthephilosophyofperception,criticalrealismisthetheorythatsomeofoursense-data(forexample,thoseofprimaryqualities)cananddoaccuratelyrepresentexternalobjects,properties,andevents,whileotherofoursense-data(forexample,thoseofsecondaryqualitiesandperceptualillusions)donotaccuratelyrepresentanyexternalobjects,properties,andevents.Inshort,criticalrealismreferstoanypositionthatmaintainsthatthereexistsanobjectivelyknowable,mind-independentreality,whilstacknowledgingtherolesofperceptionandcognition.
Criticalrealismreferstoseveralschoolsofthought.TheseincludetheAmericancriticalrealists(RoyWoodSellars,GeorgeSantayana,andArthurLovejoy)andabroadermovementincludingBertrandRussellandC.D.Broad.TheCanadianJesuitBernardLonergandevelopedacomprehensivecriticalrealistphilosophyandthisunderstandingofcriticalrealismdominatesNorthAmerica'sCatholicUniversities.IntheUK,criticalrealismgenerallyreferstoaphilosophicalapproachtothesocialandnaturalworld-RoyBhaskar'sworkisparticularlywellassociatedwiththisapproach.Thetermisalsousedbyseveralpeopleinthescience-religioninterfacecommunity.
