BQ63

Class Responses and Instructor Comments

>From W Y Ng:

Idealism avoid skepticism, by not doubting everything in existence. Idealism means there is a lot of ideas. It does not mean everything is put into doubt.

>rm says: This misses the meat of the question. Berkeley accuses materialists of skepticism for specific reasons. How does his own position avoid that criticism?

>From mnchy:

Materialism leads to skepticism and Atheism
Skepticism amd Atheism are wrong,
So, idealism is right.

>rm says: This just restates the position. What's the argument?

>From W Y Ng:

Didn't Hume say that Berkeley is skeptic which is a good thing? He thinks that he avoids it but actually he is no. For example, he uses the notion of God, which is part of materialism.

>rm says: For Hume, calling some one a skeptic isn't the kind of insult that it is for Berkeley. Berkeley wants to avoid skepticism, and thinks he has. Also, why do you think the notion of God is a materialist idea? I would think that it's difficult for a materialist to accommodate God, since God isn't generally considered a material object.

>From Nakisha:

Idealism avoids skepticism because with idealism you believe that your only reality lies in your mind, therefore you will not rely on your senses, which can be false, which can lead you to believe your ideas are false.

rm says: This is pretty close, except that Berkeley's idealism rests on the reality of sensory perception; that's his empiricism.

Berkeley Reading Guide 63. How does idealism avoid skepticism?		Back to Berkeley Reading Guide Back to Philosophy 101 Home Next Question
Enter your response to the above question, or to a previous response, in the form below, or use this email link. I will post your response on the right, and comment if I think I can be helpful. When emailing, instead of using the form, please indicate the question number. When using the form below, if you neglect to enter your name or email, I won't know who you are.	Class Responses and Instructor Comments >From W Y Ng: Idealism avoid skepticism, by not doubting everything in existence. Idealism means there is a lot of ideas. It does not mean everything is put into doubt. >rm says: This misses the meat of the question. Berkeley accuses materialists of skepticism for specific reasons. How does his own position avoid that criticism? >From mnchy: Materialism leads to skepticism and Atheism Skepticism amd Atheism are wrong, So, idealism is right. >rm says: This just restates the position. What's the argument? >From W Y Ng: Didn't Hume say that Berkeley is skeptic which is a good thing? He thinks that he avoids it but actually he is no. For example, he uses the notion of God, which is part of materialism. >rm says: For Hume, calling some one a skeptic isn't the kind of insult that it is for Berkeley. Berkeley wants to avoid skepticism, and thinks he has. Also, why do you think the notion of God is a materialist idea? I would think that it's difficult for a materialist to accommodate God, since God isn't generally considered a material object. >From Nakisha: Idealism avoids skepticism because with idealism you believe that your only reality lies in your mind, therefore you will not rely on your senses, which can be false, which can lead you to believe your ideas are false. rm says: This is pretty close, except that Berkeley's idealism rests on the reality of sensory perception; that's his empiricism.
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