Berkelys Idealism

Question 1

Outline Berkeleys ‘Master argument’

Answer 1

• Berkeley provides another argument against the possibility of the objects of perception being mind-independent.
• It has come to be known as his ‘master argument’ as he appears to set great weight upon it.
• Dialogue (between Hylas and Philonous) for the master argument can be summarised as:
• P: Try to think of an object that exists independent of being perceived.
• H: Ok, I am thinking of a tree that is not being perceived by anyone.
• P: But that’s impossible! You might be imagining a tree in a solitary place with no one perceiving it- But you’re still thinking about the tree. You can think of the idea of a tree, but not of a tree that exists independently of the mind.

-So Berkeleys master argument is essentially we cannot conceive of a mind-independent object because as soon as we conceive of such an object, it becomes mind-dependent.

Question 2

What is a short overview of Idealism?

Answer 2

• There is no external world independent of minds (so it can be labelled as an anti-realist theory).
• We perceive ideas directly.
• The immediate objects of perception are mind-dependent ideas.
• All That exists are ideas and bundles of ideas.
• Unless something is being perceived, it doesn’t exist at all!

Question 3

Berkeley on secondary qualities

Answer 3

• The only thing our senses perceive are qualities, and nothing more.
• Berkeley’s argument begins as the character Philonous, who states that ‘sensible things’ (the things directly perceived by the senses), must be immediately perceived by said senses.
• E.g. through vision we perceive colours, shapes, size etc. Through hearing, sounds. Each sense perceived particular types of qualities, there is nothing more that we perceive in addition to these.

-Locke seems to be saying that secondary qualities are mind-dependent. Berkeley agrees with this. For example, heat (a secondary quality) can be experienced as pain (mind-dependent). When you burn your hand on a hot fire, you don’t feel the pain and the heat separately. You feel one sensation: painful heat.

(This is a summary of the 3 dialogues between Hylas and Philonous)

Question 4

-How does Berkeley disagree with primary qualities?

Answer 4

• Locke says they’re mind-independent and Berkeley disagrees.
• Berkeley offers various versions of perceptual variation to support the claim that primary qualities depend on the mind just as much as secondary qualities do: small can be large. (Closer or compared to a small animal). Smooth is jagged. Motion, us compared to a fly.
• Size, shape, and motion: they are all primary qualities but these examples show how our perception of them differs depending on the circumstances.
• So Berkeley argues, we can’t say these objects have one single size, shape, or motion independent of how it is perceived. So primary qualities are also mind-dependent.

Question 5

Summary of Berkeleys points proving everything is mind-dependent.

Answer 5

1. When we perceive an object, we don’t perceive anything in addition to its primary and secondary qualities.
2. So, everything we perceive is either a primary quality or a secondary quality.
3. Secondary qualities are mind-dependent.
4. Primary qualities are also mind-dependent.
5. Therefore, everything we perceive is mind-dependent.

Question 6

What is the argument of solipsism against idealism?

Answer 6

• Solipsism is the view that one’s mind is the only mind that exists.
• And Berkeleys earlier argument- that everything one perceives is mind-dependent- suggests that there is no reason to believe anything exists beyond one’s experience.
• I never perceive other minds, all I perceive are ideas. So what reason do I have to believe that other minds exist at all?

Question 7

What is the challenge of Hallucination and Illusion against Berkeley?

Answer 7

• As a direct theory of perception, idealism makes no distinction between appearance (perception) and reality.
• But This makes it difficult to explain the problem of illusion. Berkeleys answer is to say ‘the pencil looks crooked’ is to say that the pencil would look crooked under normal conditions.
• But what about hallucination? If, as Berkeley contends, ‘to be is to be perceived’ are we to say that hallucinations are just as real as ordinary perception? Also why would God cause such perceptions?