Naïve Realism, Seemings, and the Nature of Visual Experiences

Abstract In this paper, we consider strategies for Naïve Realists to resist recent arguments from seeming against their view (Brogaard 2018). First, we critically assess an argument to the effect that seemings are representational. Then, we consider various arguments attempting to establish the falsity of Naïve Realism drawing on the alleged representational properties of seemings. We suggest that Naïve Realists have several options to resist the ways in which their premises are defended. We conclude with a significant result for the existing dispute: seemings might be essentially representational and be part of the nature of visual experiences, and yet this might have limited to no import when it comes to the issue of whether veridical perceptions have a naïve realist nature.