Final answer:
Philosophers like George Berkeley and Immanuel Kant have explored the dependency of the existence of physical things on consciousness, with Berkeley stating that physical objects are ideas perceived through sensation and Kant emphasizing that space and time conditions are inherent to consciousness. These ideas feed into the larger discourse on the Hard Problem of Consciousness and the nature of reality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement 'Since sensations depend on consciousness, the existence of physical things has to depend on the existence of consciousness' aligns with the philosophical explorations of George Berkeley and Immanuel Kant, among others. Berkeley contended that physical objects are just ideas perceived through sensation, positing that the external world is essentially dependent on the perceiving mind, which in turn is under the influence of the divine. This view ties in closely with his famous assertion esse est percipi (to be is to be perceived).
Kant, meanwhile, introduced a framework where knowledge arises from both sensibility and understanding, claiming that space and time are conditions of consciousness, without which we cannot experience objects. Therefore, his philosophy suggests that the very notion of material objects is inherently related to our perception and thus to consciousness.
In broader discussions, the role of consciousness in our perception of reality has been pivotal, from Descartes' cogito ("I think, therefore I am") reflecting on the incontrovertible evidence of the self as a thinking thing to Christof Koch's assertion that consciousness encompasses everything we experience. These discussions contribute to ongoing debates about the Hard Problem of Consciousness, qualia, and the nature of reality itself - material versus ideal.