LECTURE 7
EXTERNALITY
BERKELEY AND THE EXTERNAL
WORLD
THE EXISTENCE OF THE “EXTERNAL
WORLD”
IT IS PART OF THE MODERN WESTERN
COMMONSENSE METAPHYSIC THAT THERE
ARE OBJECTS WHOSE EXISTENCE IS
INDEPENDENT OF ANYTHING MENTAL.
VAN INWAGEN LISTS: THE TAJ MAHAL AND
JULIUS CAESAR’S BODY. WE ALL BELIEVE THAT
THESE THINGS EXIST (OR ONCE EXISTED) AND
THEY ARE NOT MENTAL ENTITIES: MINDS OR
THE CONTENTS OF MINDS
THE TAJ MAHAL (AGRA, INDIA)
A SCULPTURE OF JULIUS CAESAR
THAT THESE THINGS CAME TO EXIST
DEPENDS ON THE MENTAL
(1) THE TAJ MAHAL WAS DESIGNED AND BUILT
BY PEOPLE WHO HAD MINDS.
(2) THE SCULPTURE OF JULIUS CAESAR WAS
SCULPTED BY AN ARTIST – A BEING WITH A
MIND.
BUT THEIR CONTINUED EXISTENCE DOES NOT
DEPEND ON ANY MINDS (AT LEAST NOT THE
MINDS OF HUMAN BEINGS).
THE INTERNAL VS. THE EXTERNAL
WORLD
• WE ARE CERTAIN ABOUT THE EXISTENCE AND
NATURE OF ASPECTS OF OUR EXPERIENCE – IN
A WAY THAT WE ARE NOT CERTAIN ABOUT
THE EXISTENCE OF “MATERIAL OBJECTS”.
• CONSIDER: INTENSE PAINS, VISUAL
EXPERIENCES, AUDITORY EXPERIENCES,
THOUGHTS, IMAGININGS, AND SO ON.
SKEPTICAL ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE
“EXTERNAL WORLD”
THE DREAMING ARGUMENT
THE EVIL GENIUS (OR BETTER: EVIL DEMON)
THE MATRIX
THE BRAIN IN A VAT
THE EVIL DEMON
BOY, I WISH THIS
LECTURE WOULD BE
OVER!
THE BRAIN THINKS HE IS LISTENING TO
A PHILOSOPHY LECTURE
THIS PROFESSOR IS CRAZY!
HE SAYS I DON’T KNOW I’M
NOT A BRAIN IN A VAT!
NO PHILOSOPHER HAS BEEN ABLE TO
PROVE THE EXISTENCE OF AN
“EXTERNAL WORLD”
IMMANUEL KANT
GEORGE BERKELEY AND THE
“EXTERNAL WORLD”
• PHILOSOPHERS HAVE MISTAKELY THOUGHT
THAT THERE WERE SOMEHOW “OUT THERE”
MATERIAL SUBSTANCES. THE OBJECTS OF
COMMON SENSE DO EXIST: APPLES, THE TAJ
MAHAL, AND SCULPTURES. BUT THEY AREN’T
“BEYOND THE VEIL OF PERCEPTION” AS SOME
PHILOSOPHERS HAVE THOUGHT. THE WHOLE
PROBLEM OF THE “EXTERNAL WORLD” IS A
CONFUSION.
BISHOP BERKELEY: IDEALIST
GEORGE BERKELEY, BISHOP OF CLOYNE
1685-1753
WHAT ARE THE IMMEDIATE OBJECTS
OF PERCEPTION?
PHILONOUS REPRESENTS BERKELEY. HYLAS IS A
PHILOSOPHICALLY EDUCATED FOIL FOR
BERKELEY’S ARGUMENTS.
(1) WHAT IS A “SENSIBLE ‘OBJECT’”?
A SENSIBLE OBJECT IS AN IMMEDIATE OBJECT
OF PERCEPTION
WHAT IS IMMEDIATELY PERCEIVED?
COLOR, SHAPE, TEXTURE, TASTE,
SMELL, ETC.
THE IMMEDIATELY PERCEIVED QUALITIES OF
THE APPLE ARE ITS COLOR, ITS SHAPE, ITS
TEXTURE, SMELL AND TASTE. IS THERE
SOMETHING ELSE “BEYOND” THESE QUALITIES
– THE “APPLE ITSELF”, A MATERIAL SUBSTRATE
OR SUBSTANCE IN WHICH THE QUALITIES
INHERE? IF SO, IT IS NOT PERCEIVED.