Subjective Idealism
Subjective idealism, or empirical idealism or immaterialism, is a form of philosophical monism that holds that only minds and mental contents exist. It entails and is generally identified or associated with immaterialism, the doctrine that material things do not exist. Subjective idealism rejects dualism, neutral monism, and materialism; it is the contrary of eliminative materialism, the doctrine that all or some classes of mental phenomena (such as emotions, beliefs, or desires) do not exist, but are sheer illusions.
George Berkeley’s idealism, specifically subjective idealism, posits that material objects do not exist independently of being perceived. His famous principle, “esse est percipi” (to be is to be perceived), means that the existence of an object depends on its being perceived by a mind. Essentially, Berkeley argued that the world is made up of ideas and sensations, and these ideas are dependent on human perception.
Subjective Idealism:
Berkeley’s philosophy argues that the material world doesn’t exist outside of human minds. Everything we perceive, including physical objects, is ultimately a collection of ideas or sensations.
Esse Est Percipi:
This Latin phrase, meaning “to be is to be perceived,” encapsulates Berkeley’s core idea. An object only exists if it is being perceived by a mind.
Mind-Dependence:
Berkeley believed that objects exist only as they are perceived by minds, whether it’s human minds or the mind of God.
God as a Perceiver:
Berkeley argued that even when humans aren’t perceiving an object, it still exists because God is constantly perceiving it, thus maintaining its existence and order.
Immaterialism:
Berkeley’s idealism is also linked to immaterialism, the view that only minds and ideas exist, not matter.