In an era where social media dominates communication channels and post-truth, belief-based commercial strategies, and ideologies based on idealism without empirical evidence, we must adopt a constructive skeptical perspective. This means questioning the information we receive and, from there, trying to interpret reality, construct ideas and concepts that approximate it, and then make decisions.
What is Reality?
From the perspective of Mario Bunge's scientific realism, reality is the set of all entities, processes, structures, and properties that exist independently of human perception, knowledge, or interpretation. For Bunge, reality is objective and composed of both material and immaterial elements, as long as the latter have some concrete manifestation or effect in the physical world.
In his approach, Bunge rejects relativism and idealism, arguing that scientific knowledge is an imperfect but increasingly accurate representation of this objective reality. For him, science aims to discover and understand the deep structure of reality, using empirical and rational methods to approximate the truth about the world.
How do we interpret Reality?
In his book A la caza de la realidad (Hunting for Reality), Mario Bunge mentions the triad of Reality, Superficial Appearances and Fictions to explain how we interpret reality.
Reality: The contingencies, objects, systems and other elements that exist as explained above.
Superficial Appearances: The perceptions of our senses.
Fictions: From our sensations we create
Controlled Fictions: These are theoretical constructs that, although they do not directly represent real entities or processes, are useful and acceptable within the scientific framework because they allow for the explanation, prediction, or understanding of real phenomena.
Unfounded fictions: These are theoretical constructs that lack an empirical basis or are not adequately connected to reality. These fictions may be internally coherent, but they lack empirical support or are not useful for explaining or predicting real phenomena.
Controlled fictions are useful models that, while simplifying or idealizing reality, maintain a connection with the real world and its behavior. Newton's laws, medicine, business strategies based on empirical evidence, mathematics, and many of the models that simulate reality and allow us to understand and predict it within an acceptable margin of error.
On the other hand, unbridled fictions are those theoretical constructs that are not anchored in reality and can lead to real lunacies such as flat-earthism, homeopathy, or ideologies based on idealisms based on beliefs such as liberalism or Marxism.
In short, depending on the type of fictions we use, we can operate efficiently or completely lost.
What is Scientific Realism for?
In short, scientific realism serves as a solid philosophical foundation not only for scientific research, but also for the use of technology and understanding of social phenomena, guiding knowledge toward the search for an objective and accurate understanding of reality.
To know more
“A La Caza de La Realidad : Bunge, Mario: Amazon.com.mx: Libros.” Amazon.com.mx, 2024, www.amazon.com.mx/caza-realidad-Mario-Bunge/dp/8497841239. Accessed 27 Aug. 2024.
