I would define "reality" as how things really are, possibly different from how we observe things to be, or possibly how we think things should be. It's an ideal that's not subjective.

"Subjective reality", on the other hand, would be the view of a particular observer or observers of how they think things really are. Science, the search for knowledge, approaches the ideal if it doesn't actually achieve it. I suggest that scientists and the scientific community accept a subjective reality hoping that it is reality. In many cases it probably is. The consensus view is ____. The accepted theory is ____, etc. Future experiments can modify or replace the currently best scientific view of reality, but won't invalidate the observed facts.

How to know whether the current scientific view corresponds to "reality", and not just a "subjective reality", is a separate question.

Answering the question what are the fundamental particles making up a human is a better defined question, to the more vague question what is a human, really.

• Re: Re: Re: Re: What is reality? - louielouie - February 3, 2001 - 03:25 UTC
  • Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: What is reality? - yanniru - February 3, 2001 - 17:23 UTC
    • What do you call reality? - alexander - February 3, 2001 - 18:34 UTC
      • Isn't that impossible? - gwynj - February 4, 2001 - 18:07 UTC
        • Re: Isn't that impossible? - bladesinger - February 5, 2001 - 05:31 UTC
          • Re: Re: Isn't that impossible? - gwynj - February 5, 2001 - 23:35 UTC
            • Re: Re: Re: Isn't that impossible? - bladesinger - February 6, 2001 - 08:26 UTC
              • Anything math allows is possible. - alexander - February 6, 2001 - 21:00 UTC
                • Re:same statement - gwynj - February 7, 2001 - 01:37 UTC
                  • Many need Holy Bible. - alexander - February 7, 2001 - 19:08 UTC
                    • Alex, most people are stupid - richard - February 8, 2001 - 18:17 UTC
                      • Re: Alex, most people are stupid - gwynj - February 8, 2001 - 18:55 UTC
                        • Re: Re: Alex, most people are stupid - richard - February 9, 2001 - 02:33 UTC
                          • Re: Re: Re: Alex, most people are stupid - gwynj - February 9, 2001 - 03:03 UTC
      • Is there an absolute reality? - johnpowell - February 5, 2001 - 18:50 UTC
        • Re: Is there an absolute reality? - alexander - February 6, 2001 - 00:38 UTC
          • Perhaps there is no absolute reality. - johnpowell - February 7, 2001 - 18:11 UTC