Results for Dialogue 1

1
Results for Dialogue 1

• Perceptual relativity argument against direct
  realism
• Critique of primary/secondary quality distinction
• Criticism of indirect realism
• Conclusion All we can really know or understand
  is ideas later also our mind, as the cause of
  our ideas

2
Is Berkeley a Skeptic?

• Berkeley if we think material thing existence
  independent of perception, then skepticism
  follows.
• But we do not need to make this assumption.

3
The idealist theory of material things

• Instead of thinking of material things as
  independent of our perceptual ideas, we should
  identify them with our perceptual ideas.
• For Berkeley, a material object just is a
  collection, a bundle of sensory ideas.
• There is thus no longer any gap between what we
  perceive, and real things

4
What about unperceived things?

• Berkeley agrees that there are objects that no
  finite mind is actually perceiving.
• But this does not mean that they exist
  unperceived.
• Rather it gives us reason to think there is an
  infinite mind perceiving them

5

• God sustains the universe by perceiving it.
• Berkeley can therefore both (1) claim that
  everything exists only when it is perceived
• And (2) avoid making the universe dependent on
  human or animal minds.

6
An argument for Gods existence

• Some of my ideas are caused by me, some are not
  (the perceptual ideas)
• All ideas require a cause.
• It does not make any sense to suppose that mind
  independent material things cause my ideas (think
  of the critique of indirect realism)
• But minds CAN cause ideas. (we know this from our
  own case, when we think or imagine)

7
Proof of God cont.

• Therefore, there is a mind that is causing my
  perceptual ideas.
• But my perceptual ideas are much more vivid and
  coherent than any ideas I create.
• Therefore the cause of my perceptual ideas must
  be correspondingly greater than me
• It must be a very wise, powerful mind, that is,
  God.