BERKELEY 2paragraphs 22-36

A WORLD OF MINDS AND IDEAS

GEORGE BERKELEY 1685-1753

Q: If this is just one idea of Berkeley’s body, and his body is just a collection of ideas, where are the other ideas of his body?

A: In other minds, especially God’s.

A priori argument for idealism

Inconceivability of the unperceived (paras. 22-3)

B’s Question: can you conceive something that exists unperceived? (23)

[NOTE: conceivable =DEF possible

=DEF imaginable]

A priori argument for idealism

Answer: Sure! A tree in a distant forest exists, though no one is perceiving it right now.

Berkeley: But you perceive that supposed tree as an idea in your own mind.

SO: sensible objects absolutely outside the mind impossible. (24)

Metaphysical Detail 1

Berkeleys MONISM really requires TWO sorts of things:

Minds and Ideas

1. MIND [=DEF spirit = DEF soul] is active: causes ideas, including sensations (26)

2. IDEAS are passive: cannot cause sensation (25)

Metaphysical Detail 2

SPIRIT = DEF “simple, undivided, active being” (27) Composed of :

i) understanding: perceiver of ideas

ii) will: operator of ideas

Metaphysical Glitch 1

Argument:

i) An idea of X must resemble X.

This is how ideas represent things.

ii) Ideas are passive.

SO: iii) Ideas do not resemble spirit .

SO: iv) There can be no idea of spirit.

SO: v) “Spirit” has no meaning!

Berkeley’s Solution: “Notion”

Though we have no idea of spirit,

we have a “notion” of spirit.

Q: How?

A: We experience (hence directly know) our mind’s activity in the “making and unmaking of ideas” (28)

[Berkeley’s Notional Problem]

BUT: we can have a notion of matter, or of something existing unperceived, even though we have no idea of such things.

REBUTTAL: no, for we have no direct experience of matter or unperceived objects—we directly experience only ideas.

Metaphysical Detail 3: GOD

ARGUMENT:

i) I do not produce my ideas [perceptions] of objects. (29)

SO: ii) some other spirit produces them.

WHO?

Metaphysical Detail 3: GOD

iii) The objects (ideas) I perceive indicate the lawfulness, benevolence, and power (30-33) of their maker.

SO:

iv) The author of the ideas I perceive is

GOD!

All is well that ends well….

1. Nothing is lost in rejecting “that which philosophers call matter” (35,6)

[2. and God (“piety”) is regained!

Note: everything we perceive that is not caused by another finite spirit, things such as sky, trees, wind,…are ideas put in our minds by God.]