The Invented Reality: How Do We Know What We Believe We Know?

by Paul Watzlawick (Editor)

Common sense suggests that reality can be discovered . In contrast, constructivism postulates that what we call reality is a personal interpretation, a particular way of looking at the world acquired through communication. Reality is, therefore, not discovered, but literally invented . This book examines how individual, social, scientific, and ideological "realities" are constructed, after which we naively assume they are the "real" realities. Contributors include Ernst von Glaserfeld (known for his cognitive studies with chimpanzees); cybeneticist Heinz von Foerster; David L. Rosenhan (author of On Being Sane in Insane Places ); microbiologist Francisco J. Varela; and Gabriel Stolzenberg, professor of mathematics at Northeastern University. Paul Watzlawick has contributed commentary, an introduction and an epilogue, and two of the ten essays. For educated readers, this is the first multidisciplinary presentation of a subject of vital importance to the way we think and live.

Genres: Philosophy, Psychology, Nonfiction, Science, Neuroscience, German Literature

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

About the author

Was an Austrian-American psychologist and philosopher. A theoretician in communication theory and radical constructivism, he has commented in the fields of family therapy and general psychotherapy. He was one of the most influential figures at the Mental Research Institute and lived and worked in Palo Alto, California, until his death at the age of 85

Reviews

[Gapag · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essays on Constructivism, that is, the collection of theories that predicate that part of reality originates from the observer.

I liked Watzlawick's essays because they were undoubtedly the most accessible to lay readers like me, both in form and content.

Other essays were, in my cocky opinion, nonsense: the apex being Gabriel Stolzenberg's "Inquiry into the Foundation of Mathematics" which looks and sounds rather as an unfinished notebook than a professional essay; or Varela's last contribution which sounds like hand-waving at its best. We have them all: Escher, check; fractals, check;... It was 1978, such things were in fashion then like - or more than - today.

Some others, like that of Heinz Von Foerster, are accessible but written in a style that sounds too informal to me - approximately like modern TED talks or the likes, which I don't like.

I can cynically conclude this unprofessional review by saying that to me "interdisciplinary research", in 1978 like in 2020, means taxpayers money financing fancies, pub crawls and mating of few lucky individuals.

[Marco Sán Sán]

Solo leí el de von Foerster, maravilloso.

[Pablo Rodríguez L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Antes de empezar a escribir esta reseña, quiero mencionar que es de madrugada mientras redacto estas líneas. Hace unos días leí el comienzo del libro y me gustó bastante. Tiempo después, me aventuré a leer uno de los artículos de uno de los autores. Sin embargo, creo que la hora a la que me encuentro escribiendo y el leve sueño que siento afecta mi capacidad de concentración.

El libro es realmente interesante y aborda con profundidad temas de constructivismo. A pesar de las dificultades para avanzar a buen ritmo en la comprensión de lo que explica a estas horas de la noche, considero que merece una valoración de 5 estrellas. Los diferentes artículos escritos por múltiples autores aportan una perspectiva rica y variada que enriquece el contenido del libro.

La diversidad de enfoques que ofrecen estos autores sobre el constructivismo es realmente fascinante. Cada artículo es una nueva ventana al conocimiento, ofreciendo ideas y conceptos que invitan a la reflexión y al entendimiento profundo.

En conclusión, este libro es una lectura valiosa para cualquier persona interesada en el constructivismo. A pesar de que mi experiencia de lectura pueda haber sido influenciada por el momento del día, estoy seguro de que en otras circunstancias, su comprensión sería aún más gratificante.

[Wouters Rodolphe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting ideas about twisted minds

[William Arsenis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book by Paul Watzlawick consists of a series of essays by various authors leading to a rather surprising conclusion in the epilogue.

This is by no means an easy read. It took me several months to complete, and felt more like studying than reading.

It was certainly worth the effort, however. The subject matter is as subtle as it is significant, and is approached from various perspectives, from philosophy, pure mathematics, psychology, and even political science and ideology.

It served to shake the foundations of the “realistic”, Newtonian cause-and-effect Cartesian constructs that so persistently veiled my perception and cradled me as an observer of an outside “objective” and separate world reality.

Whether a stepping stone to George Berkeley as a toned-down version of esse is percipi—to be is to be perceived—or merely an exploration into constructivism, THE INVENTED REALITY is a significant contemporary work for the philosopher, the psychologist, the mathematician, or the everyday layperson, like this reviewer, interested in, and open to, a major shift in understanding of reality.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alcuni di questi saggi li avevo giá letti ed in alcuni casi studiati, altri mi hanno leggermente destabilizzato (come per esempio quello sugli pseudopazienti negli ospedali psichiatrici), altri ancora mi hanno un po' annoiato; consiglio la lettura non consecutiva soprattutto a coloro che considerano il costruttivismo una pietra miliare del loro approccio alla psicologia o alla psichiatria, magari anche alla filosofia.

[Forn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es ist schon ziemlich lange her, dass ich dieses Buch gelesen habe, aber ich weiß, dass es meine Sicht der Welt grundlegend verändert hat. Die Form in einzelnen Aufsätzen ermöglicht es, Themen, die einem nicht liegen, auszulassen oder die Reihenfolge zu variieren, je nach Interese, ohne den Fluss zu verlieren. Meiner Meinung nach ein Muss für jeden.

[Bill Baer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting a fast, thought provoking good read .

[Oksana · Rating 4 out of 5]

brillante arbeit

[Lœn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 - liked the 2nd chapter the most