Phil 230 Final Review - Berkeley Dialogues

Front 1

What is Rationalism?

Back 1

Rationalism using it we could come to know almost everything there is to know using the intellect and reason, without sensory experiences.

Front 2

What is Empiricism?

Back 2

Empiricism is the belief that knowledge comes exclusively through experience, and that there is no innate knowledge that human beings are born with.

Front 3

What do the names 'Hylas' and 'Philonous' mean?

Back 3

Hylas means “Materialist”, while Philonous means “Mind Lover”.

Front 4

Which of the characters represents the views of Berkeley?

Back 4

Philonous represents the views of Berkeley, since he believes that objects exist only as ideas in the mind.

Front 5

According to Berkeley, what is meant by skepticism?

Back 5

Skepticism involves doubts raised as to whether or not things really exist, and whether appearances adhere to reality. It has to do with our alleged grounds for believing what we believe.

Front 6

According to Berkeley, what are "sensible things"?

Back 6

Sensible things are things which can be perceived immediately by the senses. They are nothing but collections of sensible qualities, which are all that we perceive of objects.

Front 7

Explain the difference between Primary and Secondary Qualities.

Back 7

Primary qualities correspond roughly to how we perceive them. They include size, shape, and motion. Secondary qualities are those with which nothing corresponds. These include heat, tastes, odors, sounds, and colors.

Front 8

Who formulated and who popularized the distinction between Primary and Secondary Qualities?

Back 8

The distinction was formulated by Robert Boyle and later popularized by John Locke. Descartes also popularized the distinction, although he did not use the terms “primary” and “secondary” qualities.

Front 9

How does Berkeley show that each secondary quality (heat) exists only in the mind?

Back 9

- All degrees of heat are equally real
- Intense heat is only in the mind
- All degrees of heat exist only in the mind

Front 10

How does Berkeley show that each secondary quality (taste) exists only in the mind?

Back 10

- Different people have different tastes
- If different people have different tastes, taste is relative and cannot exist outside of the mind
- Taste is relative and cannot exist independently of the mind

Front 11

How does Berkeley show that each secondary quality (odor) exists only in the mind?

Back 11

Same as taste (consider what smells good to a dog).

Front 12

How does Berkeley show that each secondary quality (sound) exists only in the mind?

Back 12

- If sound is a vibratory motion in the air, then sounds may be felt or seen, but never heard
- Sounds are heard
- Sound is not a vibratory motion in the air

Front 13

How does Berkeley show that each secondary quality (color) exists only in the mind?

Back 13

- The real properties of an external object cannot change without a change in the object itself
- The colors I perceive can change without a change in the object itself
- The colors I perceive are not real properties of an external object

Front 14

What is Philonous' central contention in the first Dialogue?

Back 14

Philonous central contention in the First Dialogue is that secondary qualities cannot exist outside the mind.

Front 15

Explain how the "Relativity Argument" works?

Back 15

The Relativity Argument attempts to shows that sensory objects are relative to the perceiver – people can only perceive the world from their own perspective and any property of an object that is perceived will potentially express itself to them and others in different ways.

For example, what is hot to one hand might be cold to the other.

Front 16

Hylas' five initial objections to Berkeley's contention that there is no matter. How does Philonous respond to those objections? (Primary qualities)

Back 16

Hylas: Primary qualities may exist in the abstract, without being relative to the observer

Philonous: Whatever exists, exists in the particular

Front 17

Hylas' five initial objections to Berkeley's contention that there is no matter. How does Philonous respond to those objections? (Objects and sensations)

Back 17

Hylas: One should distinguish the object from the sensation

Philonous: Objects are sense objects. The object is pictured, but is pictured with both its primary and secondary qualities. But an unthinking substance is never perceived. All that is perceived is mind dependent.

Front 18

Hylas' five initial objections to Berkeley's contention that there is no matter. How does Philonous respond to those objections? (Substratum)

Back 18

Hylas: If the substratum supports anything, it must be an extended thing. Since extension is a perceived quality, it requires support as well.

Philonous: If the Substratum supports anything, it must itself be an extended thing. But extension is a perceived quality, so the Substratum itself requires support.

Front 19

Hylas' five initial objections to Berkeley's contention that there is no matter. How does Philonous respond to those objections? (Distance)

Back 19

Hylas: The phenomenon of distance supports the notion that there are material objects outside of the mind

Philonous: The phenomenon exists in dreams as well. Your senses don't tell you that there are objects outside the mind - only that you are affected with certain qualities

Front 20

Hylas' five initial objections to Berkeley's contention that there is no matter. How does Philonous respond to those objections? (Sense objects and archetypes)

Back 20

Hylas: Two sorts of objects - sense objects and archetypes of those objects. e.g. the image of Caesar.

Philonous: Even the archetype is known by sense experience. Consider the difference between two individuals who view the image, but one has never heard of Caesar.

Front 21

Summarize Berkeley's Argument against matter

Back 21

1) Argue that appearance is a reality
2) Use the Relativity Argument and the Unity of Experience Argument to argue against Secondary Quality Realism
3) Show how the Relativity Argument refutes Primary Quality Realism as well

Front 22

What is the Interaction Problem?

Back 22

The Interaction Problem deals with causal interaction between physical and extended things. Mind is not extended, but body is. God will arrange the world so that it appears to us that an interaction is going on, when in fact no interaction is occurring.

If the mind is not extended, how does it causally react with the body?

Front 23

In the second Dialogue, Hylas argues that if Philonous' arguments are sound, he should embrace skepticism. Instead what view does Philonous embrace and why?

Back 23

Instead of embracing skepticism, Philonous embraces idealism and theism. He believes in the following argument:

1) The complexity and beauty of what I see could not have been created by my mind alone
2) Everything I see is mind dependent
3) There must be a very powerful mind that perceives all things
4) Only God has a mind sufficiently powerful enough to perceive all things
5) Therefore, God exists

Front 24

What is Theism? Why does Berkeley believe that if Materialism is true, then Theism is false?

Back 24

Theism is the belief that God exists. Berkeley believes that if Materialism is true, then everything that exists would be physical. Since God by definition is a non-physical being, then it logically follows that God does not exist.

Front 25

What is Dualism? Is Dualism consistent with Theism?

Back 25

Dualism is the belief that mind and body are separate. Descartes believes it is consistent with Theism, acting as the bridge between the mind and the body.

Front 26

What is Idealism? Is Idealism consistent with Theism?

Back 26

Idealism is the view that real objects are mind-dependent ideas. It's also referred to immaterialism.

Berkeley believes it is consistent with Theism because the existence of all things depends on their existence in God's mind.

Front 27

Describe what is meant by the "unitary experience" argument.

Back 27

Unitary Experience Argument – Some instance of a secondary quality is identified with either pleasure or pain. Since pleasure and pain depend on the mind, the relevant secondary quality is also mind dependent.

Front 28

Explain how the Unitary Experience argument applies to heat and taste.

Back 28

It applies to heat in the following argument:

1) All degrees of heat are equally real
2) Intense heat is only in the mind
3) All degrees of heat exist only in the mind

It applies to taste in the following argument:

1) Different individuals have very different tastes
2) If different individuals have very different tastes, taste is relative and cannot exist independently of the mind
3) Taste is relative and cannot exist independently of the mind

Front 29

Explain Berkeley's "teleological" argument for the existence of God.

Back 29

Teleological Argument – The complexity and order of my ideas implies the existence of an intelligent designer. That intelligent designer is God.

Front 30

Explain Berkeley's "cosmological" argument for the existence of God.

Back 30

Cosmological Argument:
1) Ideas of sense must have a cause
2) Ideas of sense do not depend on the will
3) Ideas of sense are not caused by material objects
4) Ideas of sense are not caused by other ideas
5) Ideas of sense must be caused by another mind

Front 31

Explain Berkeley's "Continuity Argument" for the existence of God.

Back 31

Continuity Argument:
1) All ideas must be perceived
2) Sensible objects are collections of ideas
3) Objects continue to exist when not perceived by finite minds
4) Therefore, there is an infinite mind

Front 32

In the second Dialogue, Hylas contends that Philonous' view are also argued by Malebranche. Explain how Philonous distances his views from Malebranche. How are they similar?

Back 32

Philonous distances his views from Malebranche because Malebranche is a dualist and thus believes both in matter and a mind dependent world. They are similar because they both believe their ideas exist in the mind of God.

Front 33

Hylas objection to the Immaterialism of Philonous (Knowledge of the way things are)

Back 33

Hylas: Knowledge of the way things are is impossible – we only know appearances, never reality

Philonous: Trust senses – appearance is the reality

Front 34

Hylas objection to the Immaterialism of Philonous (God is an active agent)

Back 34

Hylas: There can be no idea of God because God is an active agent, and ideas aren’t. Therefore, it is unfair to criticize Materialists and Dualists for not having an idea of matter

Philonous: There is a reason to think God exists. I have a notion of God, rather than an idea of God

Front 35

Hylas objection to the Immaterialism of Philonous (No idea of the soul or mind)

Back 35

Hylas: There can be no idea of the soul or mind, just as there is no idea of matter

Philonous: The existence of mind and its ideas are indubitable. The existence of matter is not.

Front 36

Hylas objection to the Immaterialism of Philonous (Perception, imagination, dreaming)

Back 36

Hylas: Idealism cannot distinguish perception from imagination or dreaming.

Philonous: They are distinguished by the phenomenal qualities of clarity and orderliness.

Front 37

Hylas objection to the Immaterialism of Philonous (Ideas as objects)

Back 37

Hylas: It is strange to think of ideas as objects

Philonous: No stranger than thinking that the objects we perceive are unreal – with the real objects being forever beyond our mental grasp

Front 38

Hylas objection to the Immaterialism of Philonous (God is the cause of evil)

Back 38

Hylas: If God is the cause of our ideas, God is the cause of evil

Philonous: Evil originates in the will of the individual

Front 39

Hylas objection to the Immaterialism of Philonous (Sensory illusions)

Back 39

Hylas: How can you account for sensory illusions?

Philonous: Illusions are errors in judgment about the relationship of ideas

Front 40

Hylas objection to the Immaterialism of Philonous (God feels pain)

Back 40

Hylas: If our ideas exist in the mind of God, doesn’t it follow that God feels pain? And pain is an imperfection?

Philonous: God knows pain, but does not feel it

Front 41

Hylas objections to Philonous Immaterialism (Microscopes)

Back 41

Hylas: Can’t we discover the true nature of things through microscopes?

Philonous: What we discover are relationships between ideas. The object we see under the microscope is technically not the same as the object perceived without the microscope.

Front 42

Hylas objections to Philonous Immaterialism (Ideas existing "in" minds)

Back 42

Hylas: Can ideas exist “in” a mind?

Philonous: Only metaphorically

Front 43

Hylas objections to Philonous Immaterialism (Idealism and creation)

Back 43

Hylas: Can idealism be reconciled by creation?

Philonous: Sensory object; eternal vs natural

Front 44

Explain how Berkeley claims to have united commonsense with philosophy.

Back 44

Ideas of Idealism combine common sense with philosophy. Commonsense is the idea that the objects of sense experience are the real objects. Philosophy is the idea that the objects of experience are ideas.

Front 45

How can you show that Berkeley is an Empiricist?

Back 45

He believes we perceive mind-independent material objects either immediately (through our senses) or mediately (by inferring them from what we immediately receive through our senses). Since empiricists believe the senses are the only way we gain knowledge, those are really the only two options.

Front 46

How can you show that Descartes is a Rationalist?

Back 46

In the Meditations, he goes through a series of exercise that allows the Meditator to learn the truths of the world through intellect, independent of the senses.