Jan Westerhoff: The Metaphysics Of Reality

The Metaphysics of Reality

The most creative respond in my opinion came from a venerable 9 years old soul Eshal Ahmad, “Reality is what you want it to be, there isn’t a right answer. It varies from person to person.”

Jan Westerhoff, the author of Reality, A very short introduction called this the 1984 definition of reality. “Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. Not in the individual mind, which can make mistakes, and in any case soon perishes: only in the mind of the party, which is collective and immortal.” That is an acceptable definition but it isn’t broad enough. Jan Westerhoff also argues that reality is solid and tangible. He argues, “As Philip K. Dick put it, a real thing is one which, when stop believing in it, doesn’t go away.” Reality is, that no definition is brief enough to capture every aspect required to describe reality.

Our ability to see is restricted, by our mere capabilities as homosapiens, from seeing the word from only our perspective. Which makes reality an experience based adjective. The famous expression “Deer in the headlights” is a great examp...