Berkeley :: essays research papers

BerkeleyAs man progressed through the various stages of evolution, it is assumed that ata certain point he began to ponder the creative activity around him. Of course, these firstattempts fell short of being scholarly, probably consisting of a few grunts andsnorts at best. As time passed on, though, these ideas persisted and wereeventually tackled by the more intellectual, supposed philosophers. Thus,excavation of "the external homo" began. As the authoritarinism of the ancientsgave way to the more liberal views of the modernists, two principal(prenominal) powersconcerning epistemology and the nature of the world arose. The first view wasexemplified by the empiricists, who verbalize that all knowledge comes from thesenses. In opposition, the rationalists maintained that knowledge comes purelyfrom deduction, and that this knowledge is processed by certain innate schema inthe mind. Those that belonged to the empiricist school of thought process developedquite separate a nd distinct ideas concerning the nature of the substratum ofsensible objects. John Locke and David Hume upheld the belief that sensiblethings were composed of material substance, the basic framework for thematerialist position. The main figure who believed that material substance didnot exist is George Berkeley. In truth, it is the immaterialist position thatseems the most logical when placed under close scrutiny.The initial groundwork for Berkeleys position is the truism that thematerialist is a skeptic. In the writing of his three dialogues, Berkeleydevelops two characters Hylas (the materialist) and Philonous (Berkeleyhimself). Philonous draws upon one central supposition of the materialist toformulate his argument of skepticism against him this idea is that one sessnever perceive the real essence of anything. In short, the materialist feelsthat the information received through sense experience gives a representativepicture of the outside world (the representative theory of perc eption), and onecan not penetrate to the true up essece of an object. This makes logical sense, forthe only way to perceive this real essence would be to survive the object itselfAlthough the idea is logical, it does contain a certain grounding foragnosticism. Let the reader consider this if there is no way to actually sensethe true material essence of anything, and all knowledge in empiricism comesfrom the senses, then the real material essence can not be perceived and thereof it can not be posited. This deserves careful consideration, for thematerialist has been self-proclaimed a skeptic If the believer in this theorywere asked if a mythical beast such as a cyclops existed he would most certainlysay no. As part of his reply he might add that because it can not be sensed it