Naive realism

Biological Parallel

A tick's reality is simple: butyric acid (mammal scent) triggers dropping from branches onto warm bodies. This isn't "naive"—it's the only reality the tick can access given its sensory constraints. All organisms inhabit constructed realities shaped by their sensors: bees see UV patterns on flowers invisible to us; pit vipers detect infrared heat signatures. Naive realism—the belief that we perceive objective reality while others are biased—ignores this biological truth: every brain constructs reality from limited, species-specific inputs. Our version isn't "real," just differently constrained.