Berkeley's Idealism

These flashcards cover key concepts surrounding Berkeley's idealism, including his arguments against mind-independent objects and the implications of his philosophy.

What does Berkeley claim about the existence of objects?

Berkeley claims that the only things that exist are minds and what minds perceive, meaning all objects are mind-dependent.

How does Berkeley differentiate between primary and secondary qualities?

Berkeley believes both primary and secondary qualities are mind-dependent, contrasting with Locke's view of primary qualities as mind-independent.

What argument does Berkeley present through Philonus regarding perception?

Berkeley, through Philonus, argues that if we need to infer the causes of our perceptions, then those causes cannot be perceived.

What is the argument from perceptual variation?

Berkeley uses perceptual variation to claim that colors are appearances that depend on perception rather than properties of physical objects.

How does Berkeley argue that primary qualities are also mind-dependent?

He states that size, shape, and motion can all appear differently depending on the observer's perspective.

What is Berkeley's response to Hylas's idea of a mental substratum?

Berkeley argues that the concept of a substance existing unperceived is incoherent because it would have no qualities, making it meaningless.

What does Berkeley assert about the existence of physical objects independent of our minds?

He asserts that everything we experience are qualities and we never actually see a mind-independent object.

How does Berkeley's idealism lead to skepticism regarding mind-independent objects?

He argues that if physical objects exist independently from our minds, we cannot truly know anything about them.

What conclusion does Berkeley reach about the source of our perceptions?

Berkeley concludes that perceptions must come from another mind, which he identifies as God.

What is a potential criticism of Berkeley's argument concerning thoughts about objects?

The criticism is that Berkeley confuses the act of thinking with the object of thought, implying we can conceive of objects independently of our minds.