a priori constitution of the human mind (Kant), or a metaphysical system (Hegel), or the rules of the language one uses (Wittgenstein). There are on the other hand the sense-datum philosophers who base their philosophy on the notion of the given, but recognise only one mode of givenness, i.e., sensation, and only one kind of objects that are given, i.e., the sense-data. This has led to endless difficulties as to how we come to perceive physical objects. As against this philosophy, some belonging to the first sort of persuasion have formulated the Alternate Language Thesis, according to which since nothing is absolutely given, what has to be regarded as given depends upon the linguistic decision that one makes, so that each such decision commits one to a particular conception of what is given. In short, nothing according to these last mentioned philosophers is given, but only anything may be taken as given." /> The given - Mohanty Jithendra Nath | sdvig press