Transcript Lecture VIII

LECTURE 8
BISHOP BERKELEY
DEMOLISHES THE “EXTERNAL
WORLD”
WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE OBJECTS
OF PERCEPTION?
PHILONOUS REPRESENTS BERKELEY. HYLAS IS A
PHILOSOPHICALLY EDUCATED FOIL FOR
BERKELEY’S ARGUMENTS.
“WHAT IS A “SENSIBLE ‘OBJECT’”?
A SENSIBLE OBJECT IS AN IMMEDIATE OBJECT
OF PERCEPTION
WHAT IS IMMEDIATELY PERCEIVED?
BERKELEY’S “SENSIBLE QUALITIES”
ARGUMENT
(1) THE “SENSIBLE OBJECTS” ARE THE
IMMEDIATE OBJECTS OF PERCEPTION.
(2) THE IMMEDIATE OBJECTS OF PERCEPTION
ARE SENSIBLE QUALITIES (OR COMBINATIONS
OF SUCH).
(3) A SENSIBLE QUALITY CANNOT BE OUTSIDE
OF THE MIND – SUCH QUALITIES ARE PARTS
OF SENSATIONS.
CONCLUSION
(4) THE SENSIBLE OBJECTS ARE MENTAL:
QUALITIES AND COMBINATIONS OF
QUALITIES IN THE MIND.
BERKELEY TAKES THIS TO MEAN THAT THE
COMMONSENSE OBJECTS OF PERCEPTION
ARE ENTIRELY WITHIN THE MIND (THERE
REALLY IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE IN AN
“EXTERNAL WORLD”.
THE CONTINUITY ARGUMENT
(1) HEAT VARIES CONTINUOUSLY FROM A SMALL
DEGREE TO AN INTENSE DEGREE.
(2) AN INTENSE DEGREE OF HEAT IS IDENTICAL
WITH THE PAIN FELT BY A PERCEIVER.
(3) PAIN IS ENTIRELY WITHIN THE MIND OF THE
PERCEIVER.
(4) ALL DEGREES OF HEAT ARE “EQUALLY REAL”
(I.E., IN THE MIND OR WITHOUT THE MIND)
CONCLUSION
(5) HEAT IN ALL ITS DEGREES IS A SENSIBLE
QUALITY IN THE MIND OF THE PERCEIVER.
PHILONOUS (BERKELEY) ALSO ARGUES THAT A
WARMTH CAN BE IDENTICAL WITH A
PLEASURE – AND HENCE ALSO LOW DEGREES
OF HEAT ARE ENTIRELY WITHIN THE MIND.
THE LUKEWARM WATER ARGUMENT
(1) IF A PERCEIVER PUTS A COLD HAND AND A
WARM HAND INTO LUKEWARM WATER, THE
WATER WILL BE FELT COLD AND HOT.
(2) THE SAME THING CANNOT BE BOTH COLD
AND HOT AT THE SAME TIME.
(3) THE COLDNESS AND THE HOTNESS MUST BE
SENSIBLE QUALITIES IN THE MIND (IN
DIFFERENT REGIONS OF “TACTILE SPACE.”)
THE PIN AND THE COAL
(1) WHEN A PERCEIVER “PRICKS HIS FINGER
WITH A PIN”, THE PAIN IS CERTAINLY NOT IN
THE PIN.
(2) BY ANALOGY, WHEN A PERCEIVER “BURNS
HIS FINGER WITH A COAL”, THE HEAT IS
IDENTICAL WITH THE PAIN AND IS CERTAINLY
NOT IN THE COAL.
SUGAR AND WORMWOOD
(1) WHEN THE SWEETNESS OF SUGAR IS
PERCEIVED, IT IS A PLEASURE.
(2) WHEN THE BITTERNESS OF WORMWOOD IS
PERCEIVED, IT IS A DISPLEASURE.
(3) PLEASURES AND DISPLEASURE MUST BE IN
THE MIND OF A PERCEIVER. SO SWEETNESS
AND BITTERNESS ARE IN THE MIND.
ODORS, MOTIONS, SOUNDS, COLORS,
SIZE, EXTENSION
• PHILONOUS ARGUES CASE BY CASE THAT
SENSIBLE QUALITIES ARE ALL IN THE MIND –
INCLUDING MOTION (!).
• HYLAS APPEALS TO THE DISTINCTION
BETWEEN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
QUALITIES.