IS BERKELEY’S IDEALIST ACCOUNT OF PERCEPTION CONVINCING? (25 marks)
(pink = out of spec content)
LOA: No, Idealism is Unconvincing
CR: Hallucinations
INTRO: Idealism is the theory that there is no mind independent external world, and we
perceive ideas directly. Berkeley claims that ‘to be is to be perceived’ or ‘esse est percipi’.
The advantage of this theory is that it doesn’t face the objection from scepticism, because all
that exists is what we experience, and this is reality, without any external world to compare it
to. However, this view faces many issues such as solipsism, problems with the role played
by God, and the challenge of illusions and hallucinations. Therefore, I will argue that idealism
is not a convincing theory of perception. The crucial reason for this is the problem of
hallucinations, which shows that if idealism were true, hallucinations would become
indistinguishable from reality.
PARA 1 - PRIMARY/SECONDARY QUALITY ATTACK + SOLIPSISM:
P) Physical Objects Arguments
A) Solipsism
C) God’s Role
E) Unconvincing, because of Issues with God’s Role (He Can’t Experience what We Do)
PARA 2 - ROLE OF GOD ISSUES:
P) Proof of God
A) Problems (God’s Mind Not Ours, God Can’t Experience Pain, Changing vs Unchanging
Perceptions)
C) Responses
E) Second Issue remains Strong (God’s Proof is Weak)
PARA 3 - MASTER ARGUMENT + ISSUES:
P) Master Argument
A) Mistakes Thoughts With their Content
E) Master Argument Fails
PARA 4 - ILLUSIONS AND HALLUCINATIONS (CR):
A) Illusions
C) Language Problem (‘Appears’ Crooked)
A) Hallucinations (+Tim Bayne support)
C) Dim, Irregular, Incoherent With Other Experiences
R) Should be a Difference of Kind, Not Degree
E) Hallucinations are a strong challenge against idealism
CONCLUSION: In conclusion, I think that idealism is not a convincing theory of how we
gain knowledge through perception. The crucial reason for this is the argument from
hallucination, which shows that idealism fails to make a clear distinction between
hallucinations and reality. Additionally, idealism is heavily reliant on the claim that God is in
control of our minds, which is problematic because of Berkeley’s weak proof of God and the
(pink = out of spec content)
LOA: No, Idealism is Unconvincing
CR: Hallucinations
INTRO: Idealism is the theory that there is no mind independent external world, and we
perceive ideas directly. Berkeley claims that ‘to be is to be perceived’ or ‘esse est percipi’.
The advantage of this theory is that it doesn’t face the objection from scepticism, because all
that exists is what we experience, and this is reality, without any external world to compare it
to. However, this view faces many issues such as solipsism, problems with the role played
by God, and the challenge of illusions and hallucinations. Therefore, I will argue that idealism
is not a convincing theory of perception. The crucial reason for this is the problem of
hallucinations, which shows that if idealism were true, hallucinations would become
indistinguishable from reality.
PARA 1 - PRIMARY/SECONDARY QUALITY ATTACK + SOLIPSISM:
P) Physical Objects Arguments
A) Solipsism
C) God’s Role
E) Unconvincing, because of Issues with God’s Role (He Can’t Experience what We Do)
PARA 2 - ROLE OF GOD ISSUES:
P) Proof of God
A) Problems (God’s Mind Not Ours, God Can’t Experience Pain, Changing vs Unchanging
Perceptions)
C) Responses
E) Second Issue remains Strong (God’s Proof is Weak)
PARA 3 - MASTER ARGUMENT + ISSUES:
P) Master Argument
A) Mistakes Thoughts With their Content
E) Master Argument Fails
PARA 4 - ILLUSIONS AND HALLUCINATIONS (CR):
A) Illusions
C) Language Problem (‘Appears’ Crooked)
A) Hallucinations (+Tim Bayne support)
C) Dim, Irregular, Incoherent With Other Experiences
R) Should be a Difference of Kind, Not Degree
E) Hallucinations are a strong challenge against idealism
CONCLUSION: In conclusion, I think that idealism is not a convincing theory of how we
gain knowledge through perception. The crucial reason for this is the argument from
hallucination, which shows that idealism fails to make a clear distinction between
hallucinations and reality. Additionally, idealism is heavily reliant on the claim that God is in
control of our minds, which is problematic because of Berkeley’s weak proof of God and the
