Relation between Critical Realism, Ontology and Epistemology

[prami]

Hello,
I have to present Critical Realsim theory to class. I have been coming across words like Ontology and Epistemology. I made effort to see what those terms are and their relation to critical realism but I couldn't understand it. It talks philosophy. Can some help me to understand in simple words or with day to day activities example.

Thanks in advance!

 

[micromass]

Ontology talks about the existence of objects and about how objects can be classified.
Let's take a mathematical example. We often talk about circles. But does a circle actually exists? It is impossible (or really really hard) to explicitely construct a circle. You might try to make one that satisfies all practical purposes, but if you zoom in, you will see all kinds of mistakes popping up.
Furthermore, space is made out of atoms. So we would have to make a circle with a finite number of atoms. That seems impossible.

So it can be argued that circles do not exist in real life. But we can still reason with circles. So you might say that circles exists in our imagination. Or one might say that we can build a circle of arbitrary accuracy, so this might be enough for existence?

This example was a purely ontological question. The question was about the existence of an object.

Epistemology asks on how we can achieve knowledge. I don't want to discuss crackpottery here, but let's take the examples of UFO's. How do we know why UFO's exist, how can we be sure of that knowledge?
For some people, it is enough that some people are said to be abducted by aliens. For other people, the will have to see aliens for themselves. But even then: if we actually see the aliens, how can we be certain of that knowledge? Could it be that our brain plays tricks on us?? (people who have schizophrenia might see aliens, but it's because they're brain is not representing reality correctly). Could it be that our brain constantly plays tricks on us??

How can we acquire knowledge? What is the correct way to acquire knowledge. One might say that the scientific method is a way to acquire knowledge: you observe and you write down what you observe. Other's disagree.

Another example: a baby is naturally attracted to its mother. In a psychological experiment they put baby monkeys in a room and they also put in the room
1) A fluffy, warm teddybear
2) A cold steel structure, BUT it has milk
The question was whether the monkey would choose between the fluffiness or the food. The monkeys ALL chose for the fluffiness. They "thought" that the fluffy teddybear would bring them protection and would love them more. But how do they know this?? This question is epistimology.

 

[prami]

Thanq so much. U explained in simple understandable way.

 

[prami]

@micromass
Can you help me to understand positivism and interpretivism in the same way, simple and not too complex?
Thanks

 

[LudusRex]

Critical realism is a philosophical theory that aims to understand the world in a way that is both objective and subjective. It recognizes that there are underlying structures and mechanisms that shape our reality, but also acknowledges the role of our perceptions and interpretations in shaping our understanding of the world. In order to fully understand critical realism, it is important to understand its relationship to ontology and epistemology.

Ontology refers to the study of being and existence. In other words, it is concerned with understanding what exists in the world and how it exists. In the context of critical realism, ontology is important because it recognizes that there are underlying structures and mechanisms that shape our reality. These structures and mechanisms are often hidden or not immediately apparent, but they play a significant role in shaping our experiences and perceptions of the world.

Epistemology, on the other hand, refers to the study of knowledge and how we come to know things. In the context of critical realism, epistemology is important because it recognizes that our knowledge and understanding of the world is not just based on objective facts, but also on our perceptions and interpretations. This means that our understanding of reality is always influenced by our subjective experiences and perspectives.

So, how do ontology and epistemology relate to critical realism? Critical realism acknowledges the importance of both of these concepts in understanding the world. It recognizes that there are underlying structures and mechanisms that exist (ontology) and that our understanding of reality is shaped by both objective and subjective factors (epistemology).

To better understand this, let's use a day-to-day example. Imagine you are trying to understand why a plant in your garden is not growing. You may observe that the plant is not getting enough sunlight (objective fact), but your understanding of why this is happening may be influenced by your own perceptions and experiences. For example, you may recall that a similar plant in your garden grew well in a different spot with less sunlight (subjective interpretation). Critical realism would argue that both the objective fact (lack of sunlight) and your subjective interpretation (based on your previous experience) are important in understanding why the plant is not growing.

In summary, critical realism recognizes the importance of both ontology and epistemology in understanding the world. It acknowledges the existence of underlying structures and mechanisms (ontology) and the role of our perceptions and interpretations (epistemology) in shaping our understanding of reality. I hope this helps to clarify the relationship between these concepts in the context of critical realism.