Modern Idealism

1. MODERN IDEALISM

2. METAPHYSICS
• Dualism
• Materialism
• Neutralism
• Idealism – is a position
that the ultimate reality is
mental or spiritual in
nature

3. JOHN LOCKE (1632-1704)
• Laid foundations of Modern Empiricism
• An Essay Concerning Human
Understanding
–Difficult matters such as morality and religion
could never be fully understood given our
capabilities and limits of understanding
–The most influential book of his time with the
exception of the Bible

4. IDEAS
• Immediate object of perception,
thought or understanding.
• Things that can be expressed by
words

5. • “Nihil est in intellectu quod prius
non fuerit in sensu” nothing exist
in the mind that wasn’t first in the
senses.

6. REPRESENTATIVE REALISM
• We perceive objects indirectly by
means of our “representations” or
ideas or perceptions of them, some
of which are accurate copies or
reflection of the real properties of
“external” objects (objects outside
the mind)

7. • Primary Qualities – qualities of external
objects that actually reside in it. (shape, size
and weight)
• Secondary qualities – the object has the
power to produce in us ideas such as
color, smell, softness, hardness etc.

8. GEORGE BERKELEY (1685-1753)
• Ireland’s most famous philosopher
• Provided Yale University with the finest library
and donated books to Harvard University
• “Esse est Percipi” to be is to be perceived
• Denied that matters exists outside the mind.
• Labeled as crackpot for opposing John
Locke’s philosophy

9. Berkeley’s Argument
• What we experience are sensations or ideas
• Objects, conceived of as things that don’t have
sensations or ideas but do have size and shape
cannot exist.
• Sensible things cannot exist independent of
perception

10. DAVID HUME (1711-1776)
• One of the greatest empiricist of his
time
• Calm and good natured Self-
proclaimed skeptic.
• Believed that knowledge is limited to
what we experience namely ,
sensory impressions

11. IIMANUEL KANT (1724-1804)
• Regarded as one of the most brilliant
intellect of all time
• Most difficult philosopher to read
• Knowledge begins with experience
and experience is the occasion for the
awakening of the knowing mind; but
the mind thus awakened is not limited
in its knowledge to what it has found
in experience.

12. GEORGE HEGEL (1770-1831)
• Most famous German Philosopher
• Science of Logic
• Premier exponent of Absolute
Idealism
– reality is the expression of infinite or
absolute thought or reason

13. JOHN STUART MILL (1806-1873)
• Most widely known British Philo…
• Table of projected IQ scores for
various historic “geniuses” (how
scores are calculated)
• Regarded external objects as
permanent possibilities of sensation.

14. Fundamental Tenets of Idealism
• 1. Idealism Believes in the Universal Mind:
• 2. Idealism Regards Man as a Spiritual
Being:
• 3. The World of Ideas and Values is more
important than the world of Matter:
• 4. Real knowledge is perceived in mind:
• 5. Stress on the Principle of Unity of
Diversity:

15. Fundamental Tenets of Idealism
6. Idealism give Importance to
Personality Development:
7. Idea is real:
8. God is the Source of ultimate
Knowledge:
9. Values are absolute:

16. Idealism, Education & Guidance
• Self realization
• Preservation of Culture
• Development of Moral Sense
• Development of creative powers
• Simple Living and High Thinking