Is The World How We Perceive It to Be?
Introduction
Philosophy, like the hard sciences, always introduces very enigmatic concepts. Until now, the idea of the reality of the world and where it really did come from still remains an unsolved mystery. With this being said, one ultimate question arises, how certain are we that the world is really how we perceive it to be? This paper analyzes the answers given by two of the world’s modern-day philosophers John Locke, and George Berkeley.
The major claim that John Locke, an English philosopher, used to approach the question was the concept of Tabula Rasa. This concept states that upon birth, humans can be compared to mere, empty receptacles. Locke argues that human’s do not have innate ideas from birth. Locke strongly relies on his Theory of Ideas. According to Locke, the knowledge possessed by an individual is founded upon the ideas of that individual. He anchors all of his claims in the principle that everything that is inside our minds are ideas which may either be simple or complex. Locke also added that there are two ways on how ideas reach our mind. The first is through Sensation, which he defined as the mind’s process of transpiring to the world, and receiving ideas through the senses. On the other hand, reflection does the opposite by turning actions towards its own (Locke, 1689).
Another concept that Locke stated to support his claims, is the Theory of Meanings. This theory implies that the words that we use don not actually pertain to the objects around us, but rather it caters the ideas in our minds. The knowledge that an individual has obtained in this life, are brought about by the experiences of a person (Locke, 1689).
Berkeley’s Claims
Unlike John Locke, George Berkeley strongly believes that the things that we see around us truly exists. The main concept that sets Berkeley’s claims apart from Locke’s, is the very idea of the existence of God. The basis of all his claims is the principle that there is an infinite mind, and that is God. Berkeley has explained several concepts to reinforce his claims. The first concept that he introduced, is the concept of Idealism which states that every physical object that exists around us are just mere perceptions of the mind. This means that how we perceive things, or how we see the real as real, is all based upon how we perceive that object to be. He also introduced the principle of mind-independent material objects. Berkeley claims that there is no reason to believe that mind-independent material objects exist. This is because he believes that how we see everything around us strongly depends on how we view or perceive these things to be. Lastly, the most prominent claim that Berkeley stated, is what I now known as the Master Argument. The core principle of this argument states that it is impossible for an object to exist outside the mind. Thus, Berkeley believes that every object that people see around them are all products of the human mind (Berkely, 1713).
The Intersection
Though Locke and Berkeley have different views on the reality of the world, one of the most observable similarities of the answers of the two philosophers is that they are both anchored on the post-modern view of reality. This view of reality states that what an individual sees here and now do not really exist. In this view, the only thing that exists are various images of the object that s/he sees.
Lastly, intersection of the claims of the two philosophers, is that they both founded their claims upon the basis of “ideas”. Both philosophers have stated concepts that correlate ideas with an individual’s perception of reality.
Conclusion
There can be no single evidence that can prove and provide us certainty that the world is really how we perceive it to be. It is also close to impossible for us to say which claims of the two philosophers are true. The matter of reality will remain an enigma. It is up to us which explanation we would believe, or if we would believe at all. At the end of the day, it will all boil down to our individual faiths and beliefs.
References
Alias, A. B., & San, L. Y. (2015). Modernism and Postmodernism: Philosophical Epochs. Journal of Creative Writing, 1(3), 1-9. Retrieved April 27, 2016, from https://www.google.com.ph/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&u act=8&ved=0ahUKEwiq3saczK7MAhXmYaYKHYMdCP4QFgg5MAY&url=http://joc w.discinternational.org/index.php/jocw/article/download/13/pdf_5&usg=AFQjCNHt8gR ncwET8RwMJtmwy06W2xGRhg&sig2=e8LsejD2QmEhE9lhrT95mA&bvm=bv.120551 593,d.dGY
Berkeley, G. (1713). Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous. Retrieved April 27, 2016, from http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/3dialogues/context.html
Locke, J. (1689). Essay Concerning Human Understanding. Retrieved April 27, 2016, from http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/lockeessay/section1.rhtml
