1. BERKELEY 1 paragraphs 1-21 THE EXTERNAL WORLD IS UNNECESSARY AND IMPOSSIBLE

2. GEORGE BERKELEY 1685-1753 An idea of the picture of George Berkeley

3. Berkeley’s discovery of a paradox New Theory of Vision (1709) In the research leading to his first book Berkeley discovered that distance from the observer is not seen, but inferred from:size of image layering of images clarity or fuzziness angle between optical axes

4. Berkeley’s discovery of a paradox But Berkeley is an empiricist (para. 1), so: 1. The senses are the standard of what is real or not. 2. So, if distance from oneself is not seen then there is no reason to believe it is real. 3. Thus what we see is not at a distance from us, but in our minds.

5. Crucial Definition Body = collection of ideas [sensations] (para. 1)

6. Crucial Principle “…the existence of an idea consists in being perceived.” (para. 2): [SO: the existence of bodies consists in being perceived. (by Definition)]

7. Berkeley’s Epigram “Esse est percipi aut percipere.” (para. 2, cf. para. 3) “To be is to be perceived [bodies] or to perceive [minds].”

8. ARGUMENT [1] “what is meant by the term exist when applied to sensible things” a) actual perception and/or b) possible perception(para. 3)

9. ARGUMENT [2] a) Sensible objects =DEF objects that can be sensed. (paras. 4, 5) b) Objects that can be [immediately sensed] =DEF ideas [Locke] c) The senses make no inferences SO: Unperceived sensible object is contradiction, inconceivable.

10. ARGUMENT [3] Regarding Primary Qualities: 1. “extension, figure, and motion are only ideas existing in the mind.” (para. 9) 2. only ideas are like ideas. So: material bodies are ideas

11. ARGUMENT [4] Primary Qualities conceived only via Secondary Qualities. (p. 10, 15) So impossible to conceive bodies without secondary qualities. But secondary qualities exist only in the mind. So: bodies exist only in the mind.

12. ARGUMENT [5] Primary Qualities are (like secondary) relative (paras. 11, 12): no absolute size, shape, motion, number, etc. But relativity is proof of status as secondary quality, and secondary qualities are in mind only. So: objects exist only in the mind.

13. ARGUMENT [6] Secondary Quality inconsistencies also apply to Primary Qs (para. 14): just as water may be warm and cold at same time, objects may be small and large at same time, etc. Such inconsistencies are proof of secondary quality status, hence of existence only in mind.

14. ARGUMENT [7]: EPISTEMOLOGY No way to know existence of material bodies (paras. 18-20) Must be known either by sense or by reason, but - not by sense, since only ideas can be perceived (18) - not by reason, since no necessary connexion between ideas and objects (18)

15. ARGUMENT [8]: METAPHYSICS Body acting upon spirit is inconceivable (para 19) The MIND-BODY PROBLEM stemming from Cartesian INTERACTIVE DUALISM and kept by Locke is INSOLUBLE. SO: Berkeley is MONIST: there is but one substance: Mind/Ideas