Lectures 6 and 7: Berkeley: An Ideal Solution? Flashcards
(31 cards)
What philosophical problem does Berkeley directly respond to?
Berkeley addresses the epistemological problem of indirect realism, which states that we only know the world through our ideas of it, raising doubts about how well these ideas match reality.
What is Berkeley’s core metaphysical claim?
Berkeley claims that everything that exists is either a mind or an idea in a mind. For unthinking things (ideas), to exist is to be perceived (esse est percipi).
What does Berkeley mean by ‘to be is to be perceived’?
He argues that for anything that is not a thinking substance, its existence consists entirely in being perceived by a mind. If it is not perceived, it does not exist.
Why does Berkeley reject the existence of matter?
Berkeley argues that matter is an incoherent concept because we cannot form a consistent idea of unthinking substance existing independently of perception.
How does Berkeley challenge Locke’s primary/secondary quality distinction?
Berkeley argues that both primary and secondary qualities are equally mind-dependent and that we have no reason to suppose that primary qualities exist independently.
What role does God play in Berkeley’s idealism?
God is the supreme perceiver who ensures the continued existence of ideas when finite minds are not perceiving them.
How does Berkeley explain the regularity of the world?
The consistent and orderly appearance of ideas is explained by God’s coordination of experiences across perceivers.
What example does Berkeley use to refute the resemblance theory of ideas?
He argues that ideas can only resemble other ideas, not non-ideas, like matter. Hence, the concept of our ideas resembling external material objects is flawed.
How does Berkeley respond to the concern that unperceived objects cease to exist?
He posits that God always perceives everything, so nothing ever truly goes unperceived.
What does Locke say about the cause of our ideas?
Locke argues that material objects cause our ideas through interaction with our sense organs and nerves, even if we don’t fully understand how this happens.
How does Locke defend the idea of the external world?
Locke believes that our sensory experiences are caused by real material substances that exist independently of us.
What is indirect realism according to Locke?
It is the view that we know the external world indirectly through ideas caused in us by material objects.
What is Berkeley’s critique of indirect realism?
Berkeley argues that indirect realism leads to skepticism because it separates perception from reality, suggesting we can never know the real world, only our ideas.
What is direct realism?
The view that we directly perceive the world as it is, without any intermediary ideas. This view is challenged by illusions and dreams.
How does Berkeley use perceptual relativity to undermine realism?
He argues that perceptions like big/small or fast/slow are relative to the observer, which implies they can’t exist independently of perception.
What does Berkeley say about dreams and hallucinations?
He notes that these experiences are indistinguishable from perception in some cases, suggesting that perception is not necessarily evidence of an external world.
Why is Berkeley’s view called subjective idealism?
Because it claims that only ideas and minds exist, and the external world is simply a collection of ideas perceived by subjects.
What example is used to illustrate Berkeley’s idealism in action?
The stone and the foot: pain from kicking a stone doesn’t prove matter exists—it just shows ideas are connected to other ideas.
What is the imagined argument between Locke and Berkeley meant to show?
It illustrates the strengths and weaknesses of each position through dialogue, emphasizing clarity in argument and points of divergence.
How does Locke respond to Berkeley’s denial of matter?
Locke admits he cannot fully explain matter but defends it as part of a coherent worldview that aligns with scientific understanding.
What does Berkeley say about the imagination of objects?
He argues it’s impossible to conceive of objects existing unconceived, because to imagine them is already to perceive them.
What role does God play in Berkeley’s epistemology?
God is the guarantor of the continued existence of ideas and the order of nature, ensuring that the world is coherent and stable.
What is the philosophical cost of Locke’s materialism?
Locke must accept unknown interactions between mind and matter and the idea that we can never truly know the world, only our ideas of it.
What does Berkeley say about the intelligibility of material substance?
He argues that it is unintelligible to speak of something existing without being perceived, thus material substance is a contradiction.
