Berkeleys Idealism Essay -- Philosophy Philosophical Papers

Berkeleys Idealism In this essay I shall give the historic background to Berkeleys Idealism and then offer an argument for Idealism and invoke how an idealist could defend his speculation against common objections and criticisms. Bishop George Berkeleys Idealism or Immaterialism is the theory that the physical world exists only in the experiences minds have of it. Berkeleys Idealism restricts minds to God, human beings, animals and whatever other spirits there may commonly conceit to be, and says that everything else the intrinsically non-mental exists only as features of the experience of these minds. Although this would initially seem to be a bizarre view, if we look at the science and philosophy of the ordinal century, it arises quite naturally. The philosophy of the era derived from the new science of the period. Isaac Newton was the prominent scientist of the come along, and conjuring trick Locke was the most notable philosopher in converting Newtonian science into a ph ilosophy. However, the age produced many other scientists and philosophers who were responsible for forming and popularising these new ideas e.g. Galileo and Descartes. The main theory of the day, with imply to physical science, was Atomism. Atomists believed that bodies are made from minute particles. Further, they believed that the particles and the bodies made from them, possess prime and not secondary properties. The most important exception from this viewpoint was that of Descartes. Although he rejected atomism, he did agree that bodies only really possess radical qualities. Basically what this means is that bodies in themselves possess shape, size, motion and impenetrability tho not colour, sound, taste, hardness or smell. This latter g... ...reference. It is logically impossible for anyone to drive away to see if the contrary is the case. So, although counter intuitive, Idealism is difficult to refute. Bibliography Audi, Robert (Ed). The Cambridge dictionary of doctrin e. Cambridge University Press.(1995). pp. 72-74. ibid. pp. 355-356. Ibid. pp. 437-440 Berkeley, George. Principles of Human Knowledge & Three Dialogues. Oxford World Classics.(1999). Britannica.com. Idealism. Mautner, Thomas (Ed).Penguin Dictionary of Philosophy, Penguin Reference.(1996). pp.66-67. Morton, Adam. Philosophy in Practice An Introduction to the Main Questions. Blackwell.(1996). Chapter15 pp.426-429. Scruton, Roger. Modern Philosophy An Introduction and Survey. Mandarin.(1994). Chapter 3. pp. 23-25. Warburton, Nigel. Philosophy The Basics. Routledge.(1992). Chapter 4. pp. 103-107.