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After the first dialogue, Hylas admits, he is a skeptic—but so are you, he says to Philonous

After the first dialogue, Hylas admits, he is a skeptic—but so are you, he says to Philonous Phil: Not so! Skepticism only follows if you start by assuming mind independent objects. Hylas what are objects if they are not mind independent?. Material things are collections of ideas

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After the first dialogue, Hylas admits, he is a skeptic—but so are you, he says to Philonous

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  1. After the first dialogue, Hylas admits, he is a skeptic—but so are you, he says to Philonous • Phil: Not so! Skepticism only follows if you start by assuming mind independent objects. • Hylas what are objects if they are not mind independent?

  2. Material things are collections of ideas • Each perception is one part of a much larger bundle. Ordinary physical objects are just these bundles of ideas. • In this way Berkeley preserves the “direct” part of direct realism by rejecting the “realism” part. • He is not denying the reality of material things—He is giving a new definition of what is to be a thing.

  3. What happens when we leave the room? • Objects still exist when human beings and animals are not perceiving them. Also there is much in the universe that is not perceived by any human being or animal. • How can this be? I • Berkeley: there needs to be a perceiver, but the perceiver for most things in the universe is God. In perceiving God sustains the being of the whole natural world.

  4. An argument for God’s existence • Some of my ideas are caused by me, some are not (the perceptual ideas) • All ideas require a cause. • It does not make any sense to suppose that mind independent material things cause my ideas (think of the critique of indirect realism) • But minds CAN cause ideas. (we know this from our own case, when we think or imagine)

  5. Proof of God cont. • Therefore, there is a mind that is causing my perceptual ideas. • But my perceptual ideas are much more vivid and coherent than any ideas I create. • Therefore the cause of my perceptual ideas must be correspondingly greater than me • It must be a very wise, powerful mind, that is, God.

  6. Philonous: “To be plain, it is my opinion that the real things are those very things I see and feel, and perceive with my sensess… A piece of sensible bread, for instance, would stay my stomach better than ten thousand times as much of that insensible, unintelligible, real bread you speak of” ( p. 63)

  7. But minds are the only causes Sensible bread, therefore, cannot really have any effect on hunger. The true cause of all our ideas, is never an idea, but always a mind (either God or some finite mind)

  8. What about these minds? • Hylas asks Philonous: can you frame an idea of a mind? • Philonous says: No. • Hylas: therefore, on your own principles you should deny that there are any minds, just as you deny that there is matter. • You should think what we call mind is just a bundle of ideas.

  9. Philonous’ response • I am aware of my mind, but not in the same way as I am aware of ideas. • When I think or will, I am aware of any activity. This activity is what gives me the notion (not idea) of a mind.

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