idealism

Question 1

Outline Berkleys idealism

Answer 1

there is no external world independent of minds, rejects realism.
we perceive ideas directly.
immediate objects of perception are mind dependent ideas (sense data)
there are two elements of perception, perceiver and mind dependent sense data.
god sustains the ideas we perceive, and causes our sense data.

Question 2

Berkley’s attack on the primary and secondary distinction.

Answer 2

according to Locke, some of our ideas resemble objective properties such as shape and size (primary), but our ideas of secondary qualities do not resemble what causes them.

Berkley attacks the idea that either secondary or primary resemble anything in the outside world, collapses the distinction.

Question 3

outline berkleys master argument

Answer 3

tries to show that the very idea of mind independent objects are inconceivable
P1. try to conceive of a tree which is independent of the mind
p2. in doing so, the tree is being conceived by you
c. therefore the tree is in your mind and not therefore is mind dependent.

Question 4

issue with God

Answer 4

Berkeleys appeal to god is not a better explanation of our experience than matter.

Question 5

can god have sensations

Answer 5

P1. Our perceptions are in the mind of God
C1. it follows that the idea of pain is held by god, in other words he experiences pain
P2. if god were to experience pain then he would be imperfect
p3. god is defined as perfect
C2. therefore berkeleys use of God in idealism leads to a contradictory and is therefore invalid.

Question 6

Berkeleys response to ‘can god have sensations’`
and then counter response

Answer 6

rejects C1 on the grounds that while god knows what pain is, he does not experience it himself. ‘ideas are not conveyed to him through senses like ours are’.

however feelings are fleeting and changing, therefore it follows that god is also changing since he holds our experiences.
God is an unmovable and unchanging being.
this leads to a further contradiction