Locke and Berkeley: Topics and readings
Locke
1. Introductory (Locke) (Feb. 25)
Purpose of the Essay, sections 2-3; note emphasis on belief and probable
opinion, as well as on knowledge and certainty.
Importance of realizing the limits of the understanding, sections 4-6
Note metaphors of candle and sunshine, legs and wings, sailor and his line;
reflect on what they mean.
2.Innate Principles (Locke) (Feb 27)
Descartes's distinction between innate, adventitious
and invented ideas. Locke's target is more a matter of attacking innate
principles; innate ideas are a target only insofar as innate principles must be made up of innate ideas.
Innateness used to explain the certainty and self-evidentness
of a certain class of principle (maxims, postulates, axioms etc).
Locke will show:
1)There is no good argument for innate principles.
2)That there is another account of the origin of our
ideas (experience, see Book 2)
3)That there is another explanation of the certainty and self-evidentness of maxims (see his account of intuition in Book
4)
Locke will argue against the two main arguments in favor of innate
principles:
1)Universal Consent (sections 2-5)
2)Immediate Consent (sections 17-19)
In between, there is a consideration, and rejection, of the argument that we
are only innately disposed to accept principles.
3. Ideas (Mar 3)
The way of ideas: has to provide an alternative to innateness to account for
the origin of all our ideas, and for self-evidentness,
certainty, knowledge, probability and belief. All this is done in terms of
ideas.
2.1 Of Ideas in General
-ideas as the materials of reason and knowledge
-ideas come from experience: sense and reflection
2.2 Of Simple Ideas
-simple vs. complex ideas
-ideas vs. qualities
-can't make a new simple idea
4. Abstract Ideas
-how ideas can refer to more than one thing: by abstraction
5. Primary and Secondary Qualities (Mar 5)
Ideas vs. Qualities. Former needn't be exact "images and resemblances of
the latter."
Ideas as the immediate object of perception; qualities as
powers in the object to produce such ideas. Note warning in section 8:
when Locke speaks of "ideas" as "in the objects
themselves", he is talking about qualities.
Primary Qualities: our ideas of primary qualities resemble the
qualities, which cause them
Secondary Qualities: our ideas of secondary qualities have no such
resemblance; secondary qualities are "nothing but" powers to produce
such ideas.
6. Substance and Essence (Mar 10)
Reading: Substance: 2.12, 2.13.18-20, 2.23.1-23&28-32
Essence: 3.3, 3.6.1.-10
Recall in 2.2.1, simple ideas, considered as ideas were distinct; but
considered as qualities appeared united and blended into one object. Locke's
concepts of substance and essence attempt to explain this unity and independent
existence.
Modes, Substances and Relations
2.12.3
Modes are not taken to represent distinct particular things, subsisting on
their own, while substances are. (Recall Descartes' account of substance).
2.13.18-19
The mere concept or idea of substance on its own doesn't explain unity and
independence.
2.23.1-2
Substance as substratum, or the idea of "pure substance in general";
confused and obscure
2.23.3
Particular sorts of substance, e.g., gold or men, particular substances
(things), eg. a piece of
gold or a man
Essence, or what makes a thing what it is
3.3.1-3
Everything that exists is a particular, but most of
our names are for classes, sorts or species of things, not individual things.
So there is something essentially man-made or conventional about essences, or
that which determines classes or species of things.
3.3.15
Real essence: real internal constitution of things
Nominal essence: concept of a thing (complex idea)
3.3.18
modes: real and nominal essence coincide
substances: real and nominal essences are distinct
Knowledge and Opinion (Mar 12 & 24)
Locke and Descartes:
-equation of knowledge and certainty
-Locke includes sensitive or perceptual knowledge
Definition of Knowledge (4.1.2):
-the PERCEPTION of the connection or AGREEMENT of any of our IDEAS
-ideas as the materials of knowledge; sounds rationalist, but remember Locke's
account of the origin of ideas
Four Types of Agreement (4.1.3-7): identity, relation, necessary connection, real existence
Degrees of Knowledge (4.2): intuitive, demonstrative and sensitive
Sensitive or Perceptual Knowledge (4.9, 4.11))
Opinion and Probable Reasoning (4.14, 4.15)
-judging, rather than perceiving two ideas to agree
-anything that is nether intuitive nor demonstrative, and is beyond the
immediate evidence of the senses, is a matter of belief and probability
Epistemic Responsibility
-is knowledge voluntary? -see 4.13 (use link)
-are we responsible for what we believe? see 4.20.1-3
(use link)
1. Abstract Ideas (Mar 26)
-his criticism of abstract ideas
2. Primary and Secondary Qualities (Mar 31)
Reading: The Principles of Human Knowledge, Part One, sections 1-15, the
first of Three Dialogues between Hylas and
Philonous
Berkeley's rejection of the distinction between primary and secondary qualities
3. Berkeley's Idealism (Apr 2)
Reading: The Principles of Human Knowledge, Part One, Sections 1-53