George Berkeley: The Life of the Mind

How the $5 you forgot proves God’s existence.

Do you ever worry that the room you just left ceases to exist when you turn your

back?

That a tree in the forest will vanish if no one is there to see it?

“NEVER LEAVE ME, TREE!!!”

Remember what John Locke said?

The mind is not a passive receiver of stimuli! It actively

participates!!

The mind is tabula rasa until it begins

taking in simple sensations!!

Simple sensations are divided between

primary and secondary qualities!!

A primary quality is viewer

independent; a secondary quality is viewer dependent!

But… aren’t ALL sensory experiences viewer dependent?

Let’s say you have three bowls of water: one hot, one cold, one room temperature. You put one hand in the hot, one hand in the cold, and then both in the room temperature bowl. What will your hands tell you?

Um… I have to pee?

All of your senses are perceived by your body and transmitted to your consciousness to

assemble and interpret.

The little alien in Men In Black 1 lives in a cockpit that gives him information about the world. But he never experiences the outside world with his own senses. Essentially, all that exists outside of his man suit exists as data on his view screen.

“You do not want to be in this thing after I’ve eaten guacamole!”

You cannot step outside of your man suit. All that exists for you is simply what your mind perceives.

Essentially, all that you perceive exists as an idea in your mind. Whether it actually corresponds to the actual world is immaterial to you. To exist is to be perceived.

So… as long as you’re looking at something or thinking about something, it exists. Got it?

OMG, Babe! I will always look at you and think

about you, and so you will always, always exist!!! <3

4eva!!!

Can’t….. Breathe…..

Moreover, if no one is looking at something or thinking about something, it cannot exist.

After all, if everything that exists is an idea in someone’s mind, then an idea cannot exist without a mind to perceive it. ‘Cause minds perceive ideas! Der!

Waiiiitt a minute. Slow down, chief!

What about newly discovered dinosaur bones! Nobody was looking at or thinking about those!

And what about newly discovered species in the Borneon jungle? No one was looking at or thinking about that weird amphibian!

And what about a pair of jeans that you put on and find $5? If people were perceiving that money, it would be spent!

I found $5 in my right pocket! And a brick of Nazi gold in the left!

Here’s where Berkeley gets clever.

For things to continue to exist when they are not perceived by a mind, we need a greater mind that perceives all things at all times. Only an omniscient mind can provide consistency to the world. But what sort of mind is perceiving all things at all times?

God.

“I’m always thinking about you. I won’t forget.”

Thus, we all exist within the mind of God. So does time and distance.

This is what is meant by an eternal God. Because time exists within Him (to be perceived by us), God is eternal.

While God is eternal and unchanging, we continue to perceive things relatively.

This is why an hour can seem like a day or a minute. This is why a mile can seem like a leap or a marathon. Mr. Rossi in mile 1 of the

marathon.

Mr. Rossi in mile 25 of the marathon.

Here’s a famous limerick to sum things up:

There was a young man who thought “GodMust think it exceedingly oddThat this spritely young treeContinues to beWhile no one’s around on the quad.”

A REPLY

Dear Sir,Your astonishment’s odd.I am always about on the quad.And that’s why the treeWill continue to beSince observed by

Yours Faithfully,

God