Berkeley

Berkeley was an Idealist who believed that the physical, extended world does not exist.  His catch phrase was "to be is to be perceived."  He claimed that he was only cleaning up how we talk and exposing the way we currently use 'to be'.  Being a Bishop, he strongly believed that God exists and that God is somewhat of a Cosmic Custodian that keeps us all on the same page.

"Esse Est Percipi" = "To be is to be perceived"

The Extended Material World does not exist. God Exists


Esse Est Percipi

Proof for Esse Est Percipi

  1. P is considered proven if the supposition of its negation is a contradiction.
  2. To suppose something about X implies that one perceives X.
  3. The Proposition "I suppose that X implies that X is unperceived" is a contradiction.
  4. Hence, if I suppose something, then I perceive it.

Argument against the Proof

We wanted to prove that all ideas are perceived.
But... Berkeley proved that at one point in time all ideas are perceived.
So, his proof doesn't apply to all time, just one particular moment.

Idealism

The External World does NOT Exist.

  1. To exist is to have being when not perceived.
  2. X can exist externally iff X can be conceived to exist without the mind.
  3. You can't see a tree (or any other X) that is unseen.
  4. So you can't have an external world.
In another words, to exist means that something is perceivable.  How can you perceive "physical matter" which by definition is unperceivable.  Thus, the physical world of matter can't exist.

So what exists?

Ideas, "Spirits", minds, and God exist.  That's it.
Other people's ideas exist outside of me.
Extended objects do not exist.

Berkeley and Language

A great deal of Berkeley is playing with Language.
He claims that he is only trying to clarify what we already know and say.

Example:
You are talking to a gardener.
You ask him if a tree exists across the yard.
He replies, "Yes, it exists."
You ask, "How do you know it exists?"
He replies, "Because I can see it."

This example proves that the common person does not make a distinction between existence and perception.  To common folk, being is being perceived. What Berkeley is doing is clearing up our muddy language.  He is trying clarify to us the way we currently talk.  It is common sense to believe that being perceived is being.

Common Sense

Extended Material Objects can not produces ideas in me.
Until you show me a thinking shoe, it is absurd to think that shoes actually exist.
It's common sense!!!

Truth is that which is most common sensical.
Common Sense leads us to Idealism.

Matter

Matter could be.....
1. Cause of Sensations
2. Instrument of God
3. an Occasion

But Berkeley proves that it can't be any of those in The Three Dialogs.  Thus, Matter does not exist.  (Read the Three Dialogs for his proof... or email me a good explanation)

There will never be any sensory evidence for matter because the definition of matter is to exist outside of the mind.

Empiricism

Berkeley is an Empiricist.  That means that he trusts the senses and believes reason is fallible.  Our fallible reason tricks us into believing that the extended world actually exists.

Sensible "Object"

We receive sensory input.
A Sensible "Object" is that which "appears" immediately to the senses.
From this Sensible "Object" we infer the external world.
Reason misguides us by tricking us into believing in an external world.

Two Types of Ideas...

The Senses:  Vivid and involuntary.
Imagination:  Less Vivid and voluntary.

God

God's Role

Natural Laws work because of God.
God is like a Cosmic Custodian.
God sustains the universe.
Senses are passively received from God.
God gives us most of our ideas, but we can generate some of our own.
We tell others our ideas through language.

We are just like God, only Finite.  (That's the curse of Adam!)

Proof for God

I perceive, hence God exists.

God and Idealism

The Mind produces ideas.
Why would God use matter if he didn't have to?
Just ideas works fine.

Problem of Proximate Causes

We have the Idea that matter is a proximate (immediate) Cause of Ideas.
(In other words: "Why is it so abundantly clear that there is matter in the world?") So Berkeley has a little problem with Proximate Causes.
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