How would you define Reality?

[dms1972]

What is Reality, how do you define it?

 

[Tayla]

What is Reality, how do you define it?

Reality is the sum total of everything that exists along with all of its functioning and operations. Reality is bigger than anyone can discern. It cannot be completely understood or comprehended by our small brains/minds/souls.

Reality is bigger than God. Here's why: God *is not* evil and *cannot see* evil (although he is aware of its existence). Satan *is* evil. Evil is a real "thing", and therefore part of Reality.

 

[Everybodyknows]

What is Reality, how do you define it?

Great question. I guess a good place to start is with a dictionary definition:

The state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.
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This may sound simple, but it's not so easy to determine the state of things as they actually exist. The reason being that we experience reality indirectly through our senses. If the nerves connecting our senses to our brains were disconnected, we wouldn't experience anything of the world outside ourselves at all. Our brains actually construct a model of reality based on information received from our senses. The problem is that our senses are easily tricked and our minds are also prone to filling in the gaps in our perception with information from past experience.

So then how can we know the state of things as they actually exist? I guess the best we can do is accept that things that (almost) everyone agrees on as real.

I sometimes wonder if I suddenly gained an extra sense, like the ability to perceive electromagnetic fields, how much my view of what reality is would change.

 

[JoeP222w]

What is Reality, how do you define it?

That which comports to the truth of God. He defines reality.

 

[SPF]

What is Reality, how do you define it?

1.the world or the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them.

Simply put, whatever is, is reality. Reality is independent of what we think and or feel. Reality is objective, and our notions of reality do not dictate what is reality. Certainly our individual experiences of reality may be different, but there is only one reality, and we all live in it.

That which comports to the truth of God. He defines reality.

I've heard this said one or twice before, and I always found it to be confusing. God only "defines" reality in the sense that because He is omnipotent, the universe exists in the state it does because this is how God created the universe.

But reality is not a thing. Reality is nothing more than what is. Meaning, at one time reality consisted of just God. Then, after God created something, reality consisted of God and His creation. It's not like at one time God said, "and let there be reality". In a sense, reality has always existed because reality isn't a thing to be created, it's simply whatever is real.

 

[Uber Genius]

What is Reality, how do you define it?

And how do you know?

What is the criterion for that knowledge about reality?

What is the standard for knowledge and no knowledge? How do you know that is the standard?

This is the classic problem of the criterion.

 

[Tolworth John]

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, or to put it another way, ultimate reality.

Any explanation of reality that does not have Jesus as central to it is by its nature false.

 

[SPF]

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, or to put it another way, ultimate reality.

That really doesn't make any sense at all. Reality is not actually a thing. Jesus isn't reality. It is true that in reality Jesus exists, He is God, and He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. That is true in reality. It is also true in reality that I have a bottled water on my desk. Reality encompasses all that is.

 

[Tolworth John]

Reality is not actually a thing. Jesus isn't reality. It is true that in reality Jesus exists, He is God, and

But he is. He created everything, he sustains everything.
Without Jesus there is no reality.

 

[SPF]

But he is. He created everything, he sustains everything.
Without Jesus there is no reality.

You are absolutely correct that God created everything. God has the power to determine what reality looks like. But consider if God didn't exist and there was instead nothing. Well, then in reality there would be nothing. You see, reality isn't a thing. So saying statements like "Without Jesus there is no reality" is simply not true.

 

[Tolworth John]

You are absolutely correct that God created everything. God has the power to determine what reality looks like. But consider if God didn't exist and there was instead nothing. Well, then in reality there would be nothing. You see, reality isn't a thing. So saying statements like "Without Jesus there is no reality" is simply not true.

Your answer says yes there is. Jesus is God and he created everything and everything was made for him.
see John 1 :3

 

[SPF]

Your answer says yes there is. Jesus is God and he created everything and everything was made for him.
see John 1 :3

Reality isn't a "thing" to be created. You're making a simple categorical mistake. Reality is just a description of what exists. So if God did not exist and there was nothing, then in reality, there would be nothing. We could still use the term reality even if nothing existed.

 

[Tolworth John]

Reality isn't a "thing" to be created. You're making a simple categorical mistake. Reality is just a description of what exists. So if God did not exist and there was nothing, then in reality, there would be nothing. We could still use the term reality even if nothing existed.

Except if nothing existed there would be noone to discribe it.
God exists and so is the ultimate reality.
He created space, time, energy and matter.
He created suns, planets, and life.
Without God there would truely be nothing and all that there is can only correctly be understood in the light of God.

 

[SPF]

Except if nothing existed there would be noone to discribe it.
God exists and so is the ultimate reality.
He created space, time, energy and matter.
He created suns, planets, and life.
Without God there would truely be nothing and all that there is can only correctly be understood in the light of God.

It doesn't matter if there wouldn't be anyone there to describe it. There would still, in reality, be nothing. I'm not in Iceland to describe a rainbow in the sky but it doesn't therefore mean there isn't a rainbow in the sky.

Saying "God is the ultimate reality" makes no sense and completely ignores the definition of reality. Reality is NOT a thing. God, as an omnipotent being has the power to completely control what reality looks like at all times, you're right that God created all those things (except time because time isn't a thing either, it's only a measurement).

So the correct usage of the term reality would be something like this: "God is the author of everything that exists, God has the power and ability to determine what reality looks like.

But again, statements like "God is the ultimate reality" make absolutely no sense. What would make sense would be to say that "God determines what reality looks like"

But saying God IS reality is nonsense. It's also nonsense to qualify the term reality with words like "ultimate". Reality is what is real. There are no degrees of reality.

 

[dms1972]

And how do you know?

What is the criterion for that knowledge about reality?

What is the standard for knowledge and no knowledge? How do you know that is the standard?

This is the classic problem of the criterion.

So have I framed the question in the wrong manner?

 

[dms1972]

It doesn't matter if there wouldn't be anyone there to describe it. There would still, in reality, be nothing. I'm not in Iceland to describe a rainbow in the sky but it doesn't therefore mean there isn't a rainbow in the sky.

Saying "God is the ultimate reality" makes no sense and completely ignores the definition of reality. Reality is NOT a thing. God, as an omnipotent being has the power to completely control what reality looks like at all times, you're right that God created all those things (except time because time isn't a thing either, it's only a measurement).

So the correct usage of the term reality would be something like this: "God is the author of everything that exists, God has the power and ability to determine what reality looks like.

But again, statements like "God is the ultimate reality" make absolutely no sense. What would make sense would be to say that "God determines what reality looks like"

But saying God IS reality is nonsense. It's also nonsense to qualify the term reality with words like "ultimate". Reality is what is real. There are no degrees of reality.

I agree we need to find best way of phrasing things.

What about God is the ens realissimum (the most real being)?

 

[SPF]

I agree we need to find best way of phrasing things.

What about God is the ens realissimum (the most real being)?

when using the term correctly, there are no degrees of reality. God is certainly the most powerful being in reality, but He's not anymore "real" than you or I, or my TV.

 

[dms1972]

when using the term correctly, there are no degrees of reality. God is certainly the most powerful being in reality, but He's not anymore "real" than you or I, or my TV.

Ok, I take your point. So as regards this discussion we can say at this point He is there?

 

[Uber Genius]

So have I framed the question in the wrong manner?

No not at all.

"What is reality," is a great question. It is tied to the secondary question, "How do we know?"

 

[dms1972]

Thanks I don't want to open up a interminable debate. I had not thought of the 'problem of the criterion' when I asked. Since then I read a bit about it online.

I had really just asked the question to hear some of the ways people might define reality. I don't know if it needs defined?

Is the problem of the criterion resolvable?