Doesthetableexist?WhydoesRussellthinksoorthinknot?“Doesthetableexist?”RussellraisesthisquestioninthefirstchapterofthebookTheProblemsofPhilosophy.Inchapter1,Russelltalksaboutthetable’scolor,shape,texture,etc.Anditisconcludedthatnotwoofuscanhavethesamesensationofthesesensedatum,sincethereflectionofthelight,theangelwhichwearelookingat,howhardwearepressingthetable,andsoon.Then,hestartedtodoubttheexistenceofthetable.Furthermore,ifthetabledoesnotexistanymore,willtheotherthingsthatwehaveexperiencedstillexist?Thus,thewholeworldhasbeendoubted.Inordertoprovetheexistenceofthetable,Russellquestionsthatifeverythingweexperienceddonotexist,thenhowdothesensedatumcomeandhowcanwegetoursensationsofthosesensedatum?Inaddition,whilewearehavingsensations,othersaroundusmayalsohavethesimilarsensation.Thisisdefiniteas“publicspace”byRussell.However,anotherphilosopherwhosenameisDescartespointesoutthatmaybethereisaDemonwhodeceiveusoneverythingwe’veknown.Therefore,itispossiblethatthewholeworldisjustourdream,includingthepeople,whoareonlysomesensedatum,aroundus.Thewholeworldisgoneexceptourselvesandourideas(sensationsandsensedatum).Fortunately,Russellgivestheexampleofthehungrycat.Whetherweseethecat,thecatshouldalwaysexistsincethecatmovedduetohungrinesswhenwe’renotseeingit.Sothecatisnotonlyoursensationbutalsoaphysicalobject.Then,wecanalsoprovetheexistenceofotherpeople:whiletheyaretalking,weseetheirlipsmoving,whichissensedatum.However,theyarealsoexpressingtheirideaswhentheytalk.Othersalsohaveideas,sensations,andsensedatum,thus,theyareexist.Theexplanationaboveisbasedonour“instinctivebelieves”and“simplicity”.Our“instinctivebelieves”interactussinceitwouldliketoletusfollowtheexperiencesthatwealreadyhave,butnottoobeythem.Yet,itisnottosaythatthe“dreamtheory”isfalse.Russellchosetobelievethat“tableisexist”isalsobecauseofitssimplicity.Itissameasthehungrycatexample:ifthecatdon’texistwhenwearenotseeingit,thenitwillbesoweirdthatthecatishungryduringitssecondappearance.Wecandoubtwhetheritisthesamecatan