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Idealism Philosophy Epistemology essay
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25 mark essay answering 'Assess Idealism'. Comments on Berkley's 'Master Argument'. Grade A student.
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Philosophy AQA Idealism essayAssess Idealism (25 marks)
Idealism proposed by Berkeley is an anti-realist perspective which rejects
the view that objects themselves are real as well as the idea that the mind-
independent external world exists. The theory characterises itself around the
notion objects only exist when they are being perceived by a mind and
uses God to show the sustaining of the external world as well as the
coherency of its nature.
Berkeley critiques realist theories, such as direct realism and indirect realism,
on two grounds. These are their belief over the existence of the external world
and more specifically Locke’s primary and secondary distinction which
attempts to demonstrate some properties are mind-independent, which
Idealism refuses.
Berkeley claims that Locke is wrong to believe there are two different
types of qualities, one of which is mind-dependent and one of which is
mind-independent, as there is only one mind-dependent quality. Locke’s
distinction separates primary qualities, qualities of the object itself such as
shape and size, and secondary qualities, which are subjective to each
individual such as colour, taste and smell, by claiming whilst secondary
qualities are subject to changes in the perceiver primary qualities can not
change and are mind-independent. Berkeley however disagrees, claiming
primary qualities can change, for instance what appears small to a human
appears large to an insect and therefore both are mind-dependent and
everything else that exists also is. Whilst at first this appears to be a
convincing argument for Idealism, some may argue that this is a weak critique
of realist theories as relational qualities are not measurable qualities, if the
size was measured it would numerically not change at all and therefore would
still be mind-independent disproving Idealism’s claim all that exists is mind-
dependent phenomena.
Berkeley however poses the ‘Master Argument’ to prove Idealism, named
‘master’ due to his belief it is the only argument required to prove Idealism
true. The argument asks an individual to think of a mind-independent tree that
is not perceived by anyone else, however in thinking of such a tree it is being
perceived by one's own mind. This shows that no object exists mind-
independently, every object relies on the existence of the mind which is the
hypothesis of Idealism. Initially this argument appears strong as it appeals to
logic and can be demonstrated easily by a simple thought process. Although
the argument faces many criticisms, such as the view it conflates an object
itself, such as a tree with the idea of the object. A realist may agree that yes it
is impossible to conceive of ‘the idea of a tree’ that is mind-independent as
that is the very nature of ideas, but this does not mean that the object itself
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