Sensible qualities - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
Sensible qualities, an enigma veiled in apparent simplicity, represent the aspects of reality that are directly accessible to our senses—color, sound, texture, taste, and smell—distinct from abstract concepts or intellectual constructs. Often underestimated, these qualities provoke the timeless question: are they inherent properties of objects or mere constructs of our perception?
The conscious consideration of sensible qualities stretches back to ancient Greece. Plato, in his exploration of Forms, hinted at a divide between the imperfect, ever-changing world perceived through the senses and the perfect, eternal realm of ideas. Aristotle, Plato's student and one of the foremost figures of ancient philosophy, in contrast, grounded his understanding of knowledge in empirical observation, focusing intently on how sensible qualities inform our understanding of substance and being. His treatises on physics and metaphysics delve into the nature of sensory experience, laying a groundwork for future scientists and philosophers, who grapple with how our senses enable us to understand the world.
Over the centuries, the interpretation of sensible qualities has undergone significant transformations. The Enlightenment saw figures like John Locke arguing that our minds are blank slates at birth, filled only by sensory experiences. This idea was further examined with respect to cognitive bias, with further nuance being added in the 20th century with thought experiments like the Wason test and the trolley problem. The development of the physics of light and sound clarified the physical basis of sight and hearing, yet the subjective experience of these senses remained a subject of intense philosophical inquiry, impacting our understanding of subjective truths.
Today, as we advance into an era of unprecedented technological advancement, sensible qualities continue to hold relevance and mystique. The rise of virtual reality and augmented reality technologies hinges on our ability to simulate and manipulate these qualities, blurring the line between the real and the synthetic, and simultaneously highlighting the challenge of bias in decision-making. As we craft artificial intelligences capable of generating and interpreting sensory data, we inevitably question the very nature of experience and the meaning of sensible knowledge, further emphasizing the importance of ethics and the moral obligations these advances represent. What does it mean to truly "sense," and how will our understanding of these fundamental qualities shape the future of both humanity and technology?