Philosophical Topics (Philosophy of the Mind Prt. II)

Ideas and Objects According to Berkley and Lady Shepherd

Lady Mary Shepherds critique of Bishop Berkley's "Principle of Human Knowledge" is an interesting one. She starts in her critique of his writing saying that she agrees in the fact that objects are only ideas, but then disagrees with him on his statement that objects are nothing but what we perceive by sense (WPEM 151). She goes on to say that an idea can be nothing but an idea, and that Ideas "are like" reasonable objects so then objects must be ideas. Objects and ideas are like ideas and yes, they are ideas. One cannot have an object without first thinking of it thus making it an idea that came to the mind for the object to have even been created.

Ideas and sensations (the next item that she critiques within Berkley's publication) are only things we perceive directly, and objects are what we perceive by sense. Well first what is sensation and how does it even come about, and second how does it even work together with objects. To answer that I simply say that something must happen for the senses in order for sensation to happen because sensation is a branch off of senses in other words what I am saying is that sensation just amplifies what the senses has already picked up within the five senses. From there, objects stimulate and imprint effects on the senses that causes sensation. So, wrapping it all together what we perceive by the sense are the sensations which then the senses perceive by the objects in front of us

What we perceive is sensory perception in other words what is in front of us we can physically see and try to physically grab hold to. What we conceive is abstract thinking basically meaning that we cannot physically try to grasp it or even mentally grasp it or grab hold of because it is something that is abstract, and something that is abstract comes from the mindset of an individual on that basis forming a concept of that feature. In continuing the topic of object according to Mrs. Shepherd an object is nothing but its resemblance to the idea meaning that once again objects do not come to life let alone are even created until an idea has entered ones self-conscious (mind/brain).

Ideas and objects according to Berkley ideas and objects are things that exist within the mind and that we directly perceive nothing but ideas in the mind which is the standard early modern theory of mind & perception. Also, according to Bishop Berkley, he believes that we perceive things using our common sense meaning that they are also under the influence of our mind. Bishop Berkley also believes that object and idea do not operate in primary and secondary qualities and therefore rejects the distinction of the two, but Lady Shepherd rejects Berkley's rejection of object and idea being second and primary qualities by stating that one cannot be without the other. She states that primary qualities are ideas that do resemble objects, and that secondary qualities that ideas do not resemble their objects.

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