Thesis
The sound of a falling tree in an empty forest does not exist.
Introduction
Background Information
Philosophy gives humanity many questions and puzzles to ponder about existence, nature, knowledge, perception, and reason. Regardless of what problems it poses, there always can be an answer or “truth of the matter” (McLaughlin 23). Searching for the truth behind life’s most profound dilemmas is one of philosophy’s primary objectives.
Thesis Statement
The well-known “falling tree” puzzle in philosophy is an epistemological problem as it concerns specific information. This essay will examine John Locke’s view on the issue and argue that his notion of sensitive knowledge can be used to answer the question. Overall, the essay will argue that the sound of a falling tree in an empty forest does not exist.
Body
Dilemma Description
Explanation of the Philosophical Riddle
Philosophy has many puzzles that do not have a single solution. One question can have an unlimited number of answers depending on a person trying to respond to it and the branch of philosophy they subscribe to. The puzzle in question is one of the most famous philosophical problems: If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one around to hear it, does it make a sound?
Explanation of its Complexity
Although this riddle seems to have an easy answer, it is not as uncomplicated as one would like it to be. The dilemma’s complexity stems from the fact that it is impossible to prove that something has or has not happened if there are no witnesses to confirm it.
Possible Solutions
The simplest solution is that the tree does make a sound when it falls. One can argue that the knowledge that other plants make a noise when they are witnessed collapsing is proof that one who is not observed by anyone still produces a noise. However, this argument cannot be reasonably proven as no one can positively confirm that there is a sound, as there are no witnesses to the fall. The view there is always a sound regardless of there being any spectators based on previous experiences with witnesses is an assumption based on belief, not knowledge. It is imperative to address this question from the point of view of how pertinent information can be obtained.
The Dilemma as an Epistemological Problem
Explanation of What Epistemology Is
Philosophy has many branches focusing on different topics and discussing various aspects of human existence. Epistemology is a branch dedicated solely to the study of knowledge (McLaughlin 23). It studies “the scope, premise, and basis of knowledge and the general reliability required by knowledge, that’s, the objectivity of thought” (Liu 127). It is not sufficient to obtain information; one needs to prove that it is objective, truthful, and verifiable.
Sound as Aural Information
The dilemma can be described as an epistemological problem as it addresses a specific piece of data: the absence or presence of the sound of the fall. From an epistemological perspective, the noise of the collapse is aural information obtained by listeners. Humans and animals can hear various acoustic signals with the help of ears and their many parts that capture, direct, and process sounds. Thus, noise can be defined as specific knowledge. Hearing a tree collapse for the first time gives the listeners data that is new to them. However, seeing one fall simultaneously as hearing the distinct cracking, receiving both visual and aural information, conclusively tells the witnesses what the sound is and its existence. Next time they overhear it, they do not have to see the event to know what the noise signifies.
How Epistemology Helps to Answer the Dilemma
If there are no people in the forest when it occurs, no one can register the sound produced by the trunk cracking and hitting the ground. Although a demonstration in observers’ presence can easily verify the fact that the tree makes a distinctive noise when falling to the ground, there is no proof that it does in their absence. Recording the collapse in an empty forest cannot provide reasonable evidence as any recording device is equipped for audio. Therefore, if the sound is not captured by anyone or anything, it does not exist.
John Locke’s Perspective
Types of Knowledge as Described by John Locke
According to Locke, there are three types of expertise with varying degrees of certainty (Hewett). Intuitive understanding is the mind’s ability to clearly establish whether there is agreement or disagreement between two notions without intervention from a second party (Hewett). Demonstrative one requires reasoning as the relation between two images is not obvious and requires several steps to prove agreement or disagreement between the two (Hewett). The sensitive type defines the information that enters one’s mind through the senses (Hewett). This type provides people with data based on the perception of their unique physical reality.
Sound as a Sensitive Piece of Knowledge
The knowledge in the described dilemma is sensitive as it can be perceived through one of the human senses, hearing. Therefore, the existence of the sound in the puzzle depends on someone or something capable of listening or recording it being in the vicinity. If there is no one to receive this information, proving its existence is impossible. The only event that can be proven is that the tree has fallen as its broken trunk and position on the ground provide the spectator with an intuitive understanding of the situation. The knowledge of whether an aural signal accompanied the collapse can only be obtained at the moment of the fall. It can be obtained by a person or animal with an unimpaired hearing or a recording device. Therefore, if there is no one to hear a tree collapsing, the sound does not exist as there is no one to register it.
Conclusion
Summary of the Essay
Philosophy provides interesting dilemmas that do not always have a straightforward answer. The problem of a tree falling in the forest without anyone seeing it is one of the most well-known philosophical riddles that question whether sound can exist without being perceived. From the point of view of epistemology, the collapse does not make any noise as there is no one to receive and register it. John Locke held a similar theory, arguing that sound is a sensitive knowledge obtained by the sense of hearing.
Thesis
If there is no one and nothing in the forest to witness and receive the sound from the fall, it does not exist.
Works Cited
Hewett, Caspar. “John Locke’s Theory of Knowledge.” The Great Debate, 2006, Web.
Liu, Weifu. “Ontology and Epistemology of Basic Problems of Philosophy Based on Cognitive Neurology.” NeuroQuantology, vol. 16, no. 5, 2018, pp. 127-133.
McLaughlin, Jeff. The Originals: Classic Readings in Western Philosophy. BCcampus/TRU, 2017.