Introduction
The tree puzzle is a well-known philosophical paradox approached in diverse ways. Solving it requires engaging in complex decision-making processes based on the definitions of reality. Thesis statement: the tree puzzle represents an interesting epistemological problem, and Locke would probably argue that a falling tree always makes a sound.
The Tree Puzzle as an Epistemological Problem
Topic sentence: the puzzle encourages the thinker to distinguish between objective and subjective knowledge.
Supporting details: epistemology studies the connection between the human mind and reality, thus seeking to find and explain the borderline between what is perceived and what is real. The tree puzzle challenges thinkers to determine if the absence of an observer, a person who can actually hear the sound of a falling tree, will cause the sound to disappear. This accent on the difference between reality and perception makes the puzzle an epistemological problem.
John Locke’s Possible Answer to the Puzzle
Topic sentence: Locke would possibly argue that a falling tree always makes a sound because this idea of reality informs people’s understanding of the world.
Supporting details: in Locke’s viewpoint, the concept of reality is tied to that of sensation, and sensation is what causes ideas that a person gains through experience (Walker 92). In part 15 of his essay on human understanding, John Locke argues that “every act of sensation, when duly considered… gives [a person] a view of both parts of nature, corporeal and spiritual” (Locke). Also, “sensation, intuition, and demonstration” represent the key ways the human mind gains knowledge (Winchester 411).
Conclusion
To sum up, the philosophical puzzle about the tree involves determining the nature of reality and the interdependence between the observer and sensation. John Locke’s views emphasize the role of sensation in forming human knowledge. Considering this, he could argue that the knowledge that trees do not fall silently would inform the puzzle’s solution.
Works Cited
Locke, John. An Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Web.
Walker, William. Locke, Literary Criticism, and Philosophy. Cambridge University Press, 1990.
Winchester, Scott J. “Locke and the Innatists”. History of Philosophy Quarterly, vol. 2, no. 4, 1985, pp. 411-420.