Essay Questions

Summarize briefly the three themes emerging from Proof of an External World by G.E. Moore.

The first theme that emerges from Proof of an External World is the silliness of the world’s materiality. Moore argues that existential cynicism and solipsism ideas must be given credit as opposed to scientific values. His primary reason for this argument is that the physical world does not offer proof of observable phenomenon, which provides scientific conclusions. According to Moore, an individual should trust his common sense. The second theme that is eminent is that philosophy must correspond to the real experience. Moore explains that there is a need to join authentic human experiences to philosophical assumptions. He disagrees with British idealism because he argues that has become a creative attempt. The third theme that is progressive is the co-experiencing of reality. Moore explains that experience is visible and cannot be mistaken. He says that if one individual slaps another on the face, they both feel the impact. In that case, the materiality of the physical world is perceptibly noticeable.

What does G.E. Moore say about idealism in Britain in his book Proof of an External World?

According to Moore, Britain is ruled by idealism. From a philosophical perspective, Britain values the superlative truth than how the world is observed. Moore does not agree with his mentors’ assertion concerning the existence of the outer world bring up the question of whether solipsism real exists. He defines solipsism as the inopportune conviction that an individual in question is only considered real while disregarding externalities. Further, Moore postulates that optimism and cynicism are counterintuitive because they are reliant on opinions and speculations.

How does the author use the solipsist as the literary device symbol in Proof of an External World?

Moore uses a solipsist to refer to a theoretical person who is authentically denied the existence of the outer world having the belief that reality is a dream or fashion of his enjoyment. According to Cartesian dualism, the extreme belief of a solipsist dualist is that sensory interpretation should not be confused with scientific conclusions.