TY - JOUR
T1 - Berkeley on the language of nature and the objects of vision
AU - Copenhaver, Rebecca
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Rebecca Copenhaver. © 2014 Res Philosophica.
PY - 2014/1/1
Y1 - 2014/1/1
N2 - Berkeley holds that vision, in isolation, presents only color and light. He also claims that typical perceivers experience distance, figure, magnitude, and situation visually. The question posed in New Theory is how we perceive by sight spatial features that are not, strictly speaking, visible. Berkeley's answer is "that the proper objects of vision constitute an universal language of the Author of na-ture." For typical humans, this language of vision comes naturally. Berkeley identifies two sorts of objects of vision: Primary (light and colors) and secondary (distance, figure, magnitude, and situation). Berkeley also appeals to a third class of a different sort: visible figure, magnitude, and situation, constituting the vocabulary of the language of vision. By considering two perceivers who lack this vocabulary we may better understand this third category and the difference between those who must learn the language of vision and those for whom it is a natural endowment.
AB - Berkeley holds that vision, in isolation, presents only color and light. He also claims that typical perceivers experience distance, figure, magnitude, and situation visually. The question posed in New Theory is how we perceive by sight spatial features that are not, strictly speaking, visible. Berkeley's answer is "that the proper objects of vision constitute an universal language of the Author of na-ture." For typical humans, this language of vision comes naturally. Berkeley identifies two sorts of objects of vision: Primary (light and colors) and secondary (distance, figure, magnitude, and situation). Berkeley also appeals to a third class of a different sort: visible figure, magnitude, and situation, constituting the vocabulary of the language of vision. By considering two perceivers who lack this vocabulary we may better understand this third category and the difference between those who must learn the language of vision and those for whom it is a natural endowment.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84929331827
U2 - 10.11612/resphil.2014.91.1.2
DO - 10.11612/resphil.2014.91.1.2
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84929331827
SN - 2168-9105
VL - 91
SP - 29
EP - 46
JO - Res Philosophica
JF - Res Philosophica
IS - 1
ER -