In Defense of Hylas and Support of Locke

In Defense of Hylas and Support of Locke

I wish to defend and support John Locke's "The Causal Theory of Perception" because it is a logical argument with many useful applications. Primarily, this argument allows us to make more objective judgments about the world we perceive - it allows us to more accurately see reality by telling us how to separate the object itself from our own opinions or qualitative value judgments about the object. However, just the fact that a particular theory is useful does not mean that the theory itself is correct, even though that might be the motive for trying to prove its correctness. Therefore, I must also address George Berkeley's argument, put forth by his character Philonous in Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous, that "to exist is to be perceived."

To tackle Berkeley's argument, I will take Hylas and Philonous's Tree Argument. This is a nice variation on the common riddle of "If a tree falls in the middle of a forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?" Philonous is trying to prove that everything that exists is perceived, and therefore exists only in the mind. If this is true, then nothing exists without the mind, and it is therefore pointless to distinguish between primary and secondary qualities as Locke does. Philonous challenges Hylas to conceive of any sensible object that exists without the mind. Hylas responds with the idea of a tree existing by itself, independent of, and unperceived by, any mind whatsoever. Philonous then points out that this is a contradiction - conceiving a thing that is unconceived. However, these two riddlers are failing to take into consideration one crucial element - time.

Now, I intend to prove that ...

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Locke gives another good illustration with his flame example. A flame can have a definite temperature - a primary quality of something that exists. It can also have warmth - a secondary quality that we see in the object that is closely related to the primary quality, but is a value judgment. And there can be the perception of pain - an idea which exists only in the mind, independent of the flame, even though associated with it.

If one accepts these ideas, one has a useful tool to help oneself be objective about a certain thing. If we remember these distinctions, then we can identify and separate from each other those qualities which exist in the object itself, those judgments we make about those qualities, and those ideas we have independent of an object. Separating primary qualities from secondary qualities allows us to more accurately perceive reality.