Reason As A Source Of Knowledge - Berkley's idealism

Question 1

What is idealism?

Answer 1

The immediate objects of perception are mind dependent ideas.

• There is no external world independent of mind (so rejects realism both direct and indirect)
• We perceive ideas directly.

Question 2

How does Berkeley aim to prove that mind independent objects don’t exist?

Answer 2

Berkeley asks how, if realism is true, we can link up our perception with the objects behind it. When it seems we can’t look past the viel perception.

Question 3

Outline how Berkeley uses Locke’s primary and secondary qualities distinction to prove that everything we perceive is mind dependent.

Answer 3

• when we perceive an object, we don’t perceive anything in addition to its primary and secondary qualities*
• So, everything we perceive is either a primary quality or a secondary qualities
• Secondary qualities are mind - dependent**
• Therefore, everything we perceive is mind independent.

Question 4

Why does Berkeley say that Everything we perceive is mind dependent?

Answer 4

Berkeley, in the character of Philonous, begins by arguing that ‘ sensible things’ i.e. things perceived by the senses, must be perceived immediately by the senses, and if they are not immediately, they must be inferred.
Therefore, we immediately perceive qualities of things and nothing more

Question 5

What does Berkeley agree with lock about? Why?

Answer 5

That secondary qualities are mind independent.
Example: heat
Heat, a secondary quality can be experienced as pain, which is mind dependent. When you burn your hand on hot fire, you don’t feel pain and heat separately you feel once sensation (they come together) as painful heat.

Question 6

What does Berkeley disagree with Locke about and why?

Answer 6

But he disagrees with Locke that primary qualities are mind independent.
This is because of perceptual variation
Berkeley argues that perceptual variation applies as much to primary qualities as it does the secondary qualities.

Question 7

What are the examples that Berkeley uses to illustrate that perceptual variation applies to primary qualities too?

Answer 7

• Something that looks small to me may appear big to a small animal
• Something that looks small at a distance may seem large up close
• An object that appears to be moving quickly to humans may appear to be moving slowly to a fly.

Question 8

Outline Berkeley master argument

Answer 8

We cannot conceive of mind independent objects because as soon as we conceive of such an object, it becomes mind dependent.

Thus mind independent objects are impossible.

Question 9

Objection to Berkeley master argument

Answer 9

Berkeley has confused a thought with what the thought is about. Just because it’s impossible to have an idea of a mind independent object, doesn’t mean that mind independent object are themselves impossible.

Question 10

What is the material substratum argument?

Answer 10

Hylas, the realist, argues that we need the idea of a ‘material substratum’ because:
Suppose we perceive only primary and secondary qualities
If there were no mind independent objects, what would have the qualities?
What is the stuff or substance that possesses the qualities and holds them together to make one physical object?
-> Material substratum and it must be unperceived.

Question 11

What is Berkeley’s response to the material substratum argument?

Answer 11

Once you’ve listed all the qualities of an object, what is left of the object?
NOTHING
And if a substance exists unperceived, it exists without any qualities at all.

Question 12

How does idealism dodge scepticism?/ why could you argue that idealism is better than indirect realism?

Answer 12

Idealism does not lead to the same veil of perception that indirect realism does. The veil of perception disappears when we realise that the meaning of the words like physical object refers to ideas not mind independent objects as realism assumes.

Question 13

What does Berkeley argue, causes the ideas?

Answer 13

• everything we perceive is mind independent
• There are three possible causes of these perceptions: 1) ideas 2) my own mind 3) another mind
• It cannot be 1) because alone cannot cause anything
• It cannot be 2) because if I was the cause of my own perception, then I’d be able to control what I perceive
• Therefore it must be 3)
• the complexity, variety and order, and manner of my perceptions, the other mind must be God

Question 14

What are the strengths of Berkeley’s idealism?

Answer 14

• if God is the cause of my ideas, it resolves the common objection to idealism : why do objects still exist when I stop perceiving them?
  —> Berkeley says that physical objects constantly exist in the mind of God
• Resolves another criticism : how come two people look at one object and perceive different ideas?
  —> Berkeley says that we perceive copies of the ideas that exist eternally in God’s mind and since we perceive the same copy of God’s idea, we can be said to be perceiving the same thing.

Question 15

What are some problems for idealism?

Answer 15

• problems with the role of God
• solipsism
• illusion
• hallucination

Question 16

What is the problem with the role of God for idealism?

Answer 16

According to Berkeley, what we perceive our ideas that exist in gods mind.
But they seem to conflict with Berkeley’s conception of God.
God can’t feel pain because he is perfect, so how come I feel pain if the idea isn’t God’s mind?

Question 17

Berkeley’s response to the problems with the role of God.

Answer 17

Pain exist in gods understanding. Although God doesn’t feel pain himself, he understands what it is for us to feel pain. When we perceive pain, it is what God actively will us to perceive.

Question 18

Father objection with the problem of the role of God for idealism

Answer 18

My perceptions constantly change from one moment to the next yet God is unchanging

Question 19

Problems for idealism solipsism

Answer 19

Solipsism: the view that one’s mind is the only thing that exists
There is no reason to suggest that there is anything beyond one’s own experience.
If idealism is true but unlike Berkeley’s version we say that everything is in my mind, nothing exists or ever has existed when I’m not perceiving it and that is absurd.

Question 20

Berkley’s response to solipcism

Answer 20

God exists and He perceives everything even when we don’t

Question 21

Problem from Illusion

Answer 21

Similarly to the direct theory of oerction, idealism makes no distinction between perception and reality.
Presents the argument from illusion again.
Example: WHY DOES THE PENCIL LOOK CROOKED IN WATER
Since idealism -> perception = reality, Berkley’s would have to say because it is crooked which is CRAZY

Question 22

Berkley’s response to argument from illusion

Answer 22

He sticks by his theory and says the pencil is crooked. The reason we think the pencil is an illusion (false perception) is because it misleads us about future perceptions. But just because I make these mistakes sometimes doesn’t mean the so called ‘illusion’ is any less real than the perception of the pencil as not crooked.

Question 23

My thoughts on Berkley’s response to illusion problem

Answer 23

Seems far fetched and incomplete
Why does God change the idea when it’s no longer in water?
Presents more questions

Question 24

Problem from hallucination

Answer 24

Hallucinations happen when we perceive things which aren’t really there.
Idealism says the object of our perception IS reality.

Question 25

Berkley’s response to the problem of hallucinations

Answer 25

• they are ‘dim and irregular’
• they do not correspond coherently with reality like our other perceptions

Question 26

Thoughts on Berkley’s repose to the problem of hallucination

Answer 26

A) hallucinations are not always clearly distinct from perception all the time eg schizophrenia
B) his criteria only tells us how to distinguish between the two and not how idealism can respond to the problem