Berkeley Exam
George Barkley - correct answer--was born in 1685 near Kilkenny, Ireland, to a family of
English descent
-In 1700 he entered Trinity College in Dublin where he studied languages, mathematics, and
philosophy.
-In 1707 he became a fellow of the college, and in 1710 he was ordained into the Anglican
Church.
-During the time of his studies Berkeley also traveled a great deal, and became acquainted
with the work of Rene Descartes, Nicolas Malebranche, and John Locke. He was
immediately impressed with these philosophers, but also deeply disturbed by their ideas
George Barkley Continued - correct answer--He found in the scientific views they put forth a
lurking threat of skepticism and atheism, two forces that his life's work combated.
-Essay Toward a New Theory of Vision.
-A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge
1. God and the catholic faith
2.Epistemology-what can we know?
A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge - correct answer--he work was
an attempt to lay out a complete philosophical system, on which the only existing entities in
the world are ideas and the minds that conceive them.
What is idealism? - correct answer-seeing things the way you want them to be, not the way
they really are
-the claim that everything that exists either is a mind or depends on a mind for its existence
Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous - correct answer-he made another attempt to
convince the world of the truth of his philosophical system, by putting his ideas into a more
popularized form.
The Dialogues begin with an ... - correct answer-anecdote. The two protagonist, Philonous
and Hylas run into each other and begin mulling over insane beliefs that philosopher hold
Hylas - correct answer--Hylas repeats the Cartesian/Lockean picture of perception. External
physical things bring about motion in the brain. This motion somehow causes ideas in the
mind
,-Hylas is disturbed by the prevalence of these insane beliefs for a very practical reason: he
is afraid that when common people hear supposedly learned scholars spouting off about
how they know nothing at all, or else making claims that are entirely contrary to common
sense, they themselves will end up becoming suspicious of the most important, sacred truths
which until then they had considered unquestionable
Philonous - correct answer--The brain is just another sensible thing, and hence is a
collection of sensible qualities, which are ideas, and thus exist only in the mind.
-Philonous is sympathetic to this line of thought, and confides that he himself has given up
many of the views he learned in school in order to embrace common sense opinions.
What is Philonous' view? - correct answer--namely, that there is no such thing as
mind-independent material objects in the world, only ideas and the minds that have them.
Hylas has confusion about... - correct answer--then how can Philonous be claiming
allegiance to common sense and decrying extravagant metaphysical notions?
Philonous goal of his arguments claim to show that - correct answer--that his idealist view is
the most commonsensical view in the world. His goal is to prove that, not only is his theory
simpler and better supported by the evidence, but it is even immune to skeptical worries and
atheistic challenges; the materialism which Hylas ascribes to, on the other hand, is
incoherent and leads to straight into skepticism (and possibly even atheism).
Skepticism - correct answer-A philosophy which suggests that nothing can ever be known
for certain.
Berkeley's intent is on setting himself up as the.... - correct answer-up as the defender of
common sense.
-What Berkeley is trying to get us to believe is that everything we see around us — tables,
chairs, flowers, grass, sky, ocean, birds, cats, and so on — are all in our mind.
What is Berkeley's master argument? - correct answer--to demonstrate that, actually, this
view that we judge as so ridiculously far fetched is actually the view that best approximates
common sense. If he can get us to believe this, he will have crossed the biggest hurdle to
getting his theory accepted.
-Berkeley came up with this theory, specifically because he wanted to effect a return to the
common sense principles he thought the philosophers had abandoned. He really believed
his own rhetoric; he really believed that his idealism was the most common-sensical view in
the world.
What can we trust in the eyes of Berkeley? - correct answer--our senses
The philosophers think that the world is really made up of tiny particles of matter that have
no.... - correct answer--color, sound, taste, feel
-or the Secondary qualities
, primary qualities - correct answer-characteristics such as size and shape that exist in an
object whether or not we perceive them
secondary qualities - correct answer-characteristics such as color and odor that exist in our
perception of the object
tiny particles of matter move around in such a way that they produce in us the illusion of.... -
correct answer-color, taste, and so on.
-The colorless particles in the ball, for instance, move around in such a way that our eyes
perceive the ball as purple
The second common sense principle that Berkeley thinks he is defending.... - correct
answer-is the belief that the qualities we perceive as existing really do exist.
-The man on the street believes that there is blue and sweetness and the sound of a trumpet
in the world.
The third principle of common sense that Berkeley promotes... - correct answer-is the
conviction that the things we see and feel are real.
The philosopher (at least Descartes and Locke) believes - correct answer--that the
immediate objects of his perception are merely ideas, which are mental copies or
representations of real things.
-This view of perception, on which ideas mediate between us and the world, is often called
either the "mediated view of perception" or the "veil of perception view".
Berkeley thinks that the best way to defend these four principle - correct answer-(1)that we
can trust our senses,
(2) that the things we see and feel are real,
(3) that the qualities we perceive as existing really do exist, and
(4) that all skeptical doubt about the real existence of things is, therefore
Philonous' project begins with an ambitious first goal - correct answer-he must show that we
have no reason to believe in the existence of mind-independent material objects
-He attempts this in TWO STAGES:
(1)he will show that we are never presented with any mind-independent material objects in
our immediate experience (that is, through our senses)
2: then he will show that we have no reason to make an inference from our immediate
experience to the existence of mind- independent material objects.
Empiricists - correct answer-theorists who argue that perceptual abilities are learned
-our knowledge comes from sensory experience
George Barkley - correct answer--was born in 1685 near Kilkenny, Ireland, to a family of
English descent
-In 1700 he entered Trinity College in Dublin where he studied languages, mathematics, and
philosophy.
-In 1707 he became a fellow of the college, and in 1710 he was ordained into the Anglican
Church.
-During the time of his studies Berkeley also traveled a great deal, and became acquainted
with the work of Rene Descartes, Nicolas Malebranche, and John Locke. He was
immediately impressed with these philosophers, but also deeply disturbed by their ideas
George Barkley Continued - correct answer--He found in the scientific views they put forth a
lurking threat of skepticism and atheism, two forces that his life's work combated.
-Essay Toward a New Theory of Vision.
-A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge
1. God and the catholic faith
2.Epistemology-what can we know?
A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge - correct answer--he work was
an attempt to lay out a complete philosophical system, on which the only existing entities in
the world are ideas and the minds that conceive them.
What is idealism? - correct answer-seeing things the way you want them to be, not the way
they really are
-the claim that everything that exists either is a mind or depends on a mind for its existence
Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous - correct answer-he made another attempt to
convince the world of the truth of his philosophical system, by putting his ideas into a more
popularized form.
The Dialogues begin with an ... - correct answer-anecdote. The two protagonist, Philonous
and Hylas run into each other and begin mulling over insane beliefs that philosopher hold
Hylas - correct answer--Hylas repeats the Cartesian/Lockean picture of perception. External
physical things bring about motion in the brain. This motion somehow causes ideas in the
mind
,-Hylas is disturbed by the prevalence of these insane beliefs for a very practical reason: he
is afraid that when common people hear supposedly learned scholars spouting off about
how they know nothing at all, or else making claims that are entirely contrary to common
sense, they themselves will end up becoming suspicious of the most important, sacred truths
which until then they had considered unquestionable
Philonous - correct answer--The brain is just another sensible thing, and hence is a
collection of sensible qualities, which are ideas, and thus exist only in the mind.
-Philonous is sympathetic to this line of thought, and confides that he himself has given up
many of the views he learned in school in order to embrace common sense opinions.
What is Philonous' view? - correct answer--namely, that there is no such thing as
mind-independent material objects in the world, only ideas and the minds that have them.
Hylas has confusion about... - correct answer--then how can Philonous be claiming
allegiance to common sense and decrying extravagant metaphysical notions?
Philonous goal of his arguments claim to show that - correct answer--that his idealist view is
the most commonsensical view in the world. His goal is to prove that, not only is his theory
simpler and better supported by the evidence, but it is even immune to skeptical worries and
atheistic challenges; the materialism which Hylas ascribes to, on the other hand, is
incoherent and leads to straight into skepticism (and possibly even atheism).
Skepticism - correct answer-A philosophy which suggests that nothing can ever be known
for certain.
Berkeley's intent is on setting himself up as the.... - correct answer-up as the defender of
common sense.
-What Berkeley is trying to get us to believe is that everything we see around us — tables,
chairs, flowers, grass, sky, ocean, birds, cats, and so on — are all in our mind.
What is Berkeley's master argument? - correct answer--to demonstrate that, actually, this
view that we judge as so ridiculously far fetched is actually the view that best approximates
common sense. If he can get us to believe this, he will have crossed the biggest hurdle to
getting his theory accepted.
-Berkeley came up with this theory, specifically because he wanted to effect a return to the
common sense principles he thought the philosophers had abandoned. He really believed
his own rhetoric; he really believed that his idealism was the most common-sensical view in
the world.
What can we trust in the eyes of Berkeley? - correct answer--our senses
The philosophers think that the world is really made up of tiny particles of matter that have
no.... - correct answer--color, sound, taste, feel
-or the Secondary qualities
, primary qualities - correct answer-characteristics such as size and shape that exist in an
object whether or not we perceive them
secondary qualities - correct answer-characteristics such as color and odor that exist in our
perception of the object
tiny particles of matter move around in such a way that they produce in us the illusion of.... -
correct answer-color, taste, and so on.
-The colorless particles in the ball, for instance, move around in such a way that our eyes
perceive the ball as purple
The second common sense principle that Berkeley thinks he is defending.... - correct
answer-is the belief that the qualities we perceive as existing really do exist.
-The man on the street believes that there is blue and sweetness and the sound of a trumpet
in the world.
The third principle of common sense that Berkeley promotes... - correct answer-is the
conviction that the things we see and feel are real.
The philosopher (at least Descartes and Locke) believes - correct answer--that the
immediate objects of his perception are merely ideas, which are mental copies or
representations of real things.
-This view of perception, on which ideas mediate between us and the world, is often called
either the "mediated view of perception" or the "veil of perception view".
Berkeley thinks that the best way to defend these four principle - correct answer-(1)that we
can trust our senses,
(2) that the things we see and feel are real,
(3) that the qualities we perceive as existing really do exist, and
(4) that all skeptical doubt about the real existence of things is, therefore
Philonous' project begins with an ambitious first goal - correct answer-he must show that we
have no reason to believe in the existence of mind-independent material objects
-He attempts this in TWO STAGES:
(1)he will show that we are never presented with any mind-independent material objects in
our immediate experience (that is, through our senses)
2: then he will show that we have no reason to make an inference from our immediate
experience to the existence of mind- independent material objects.
Empiricists - correct answer-theorists who argue that perceptual abilities are learned
-our knowledge comes from sensory experience
