Berkeley on the language of nature and the objects of vision

  • Rebecca Copenhaver

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

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.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)29-46
Number of pages18
JournalRes Philosophica
Volume91
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2014

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