第 74 节
作者:京文      更新:2021-02-19 21:42      字数:9296
  proceeds directly from him。 For we saw that to Locke the source of truth is experience; or Being
  as perceived。 Now since this sensuous Being; as Being; has in it the quality of being for
  consciousness; we saw that it necessarily came to pass that in Locke's case some qualities; at
  least; were so determined that they were not in themselves; but only for another; and that colour;
  figure; &c。; had their ground only in the subject; in his particular organization。 This
  Being…for…another; however; was not by him accepted as the Notion; but as falling within
  self…consciousness — i。e。; self…consciousness not looked on as universal; — not within mind; but
  within what is opposed to the implicit。
  George Berkeley was born in 1684 at Kilcrin; near Thomastown; in the county of Kilkenny;
  Ireland: in 1754 he died as an English Bishop。(1) He wrote the “Theory of Vision;” 1709; “A
  Treatise concerning the principles of human knowledge;” 1710; “Three Dialogues between Hylas
  and Philonous;” 1713。 In 1784 his collected works were published in London in two quarto
  volumes。
  Berkeley advocated an idealism which came very near to that of Malebranche。 As against the
  metaphysic of the understanding; we have the point of view that all existence and its determinations
  arise from feeling; and are constituted by self…consciousness。 Berkeley's first and fundamental
  thought is consequently this: “The Being of whatever is called by us a thing consists alone in its
  being perceived;” i。e。; our determinations are the objects of our knowledge。 “All objects of
  human knowledge are ideas” (so called by Berkeley as by Locke); “which arise either from the
  impressions of the outward senses; or from perceptions of the inward states and activities of the
  mind; or finally; they are such as are constituted by means of memory and imagination through their
  separation and rearrangement。 A union of different sensuous feelings appears to us to be a
  particular thing; e。g。; the feeling of colour; taste; smell; figure; &c。; for by colours; smells; sounds;
  something of which we have a sensation is always understood。”(2) This is the matter and the
  object of knowledge; the knower is the percipient “I;” which reveals itself in relation to those
  feelings in various activities; such as imagination; remembrance; and will。
  Berkeley thus indeed acknowledges the distinction between Being…for…self and Other…Being;
  which in his case; however; itself falls within the “I。” Of the matter on which activity is directed; it
  is no doubt in regard to one portion allowed that it does not exist outside of mind — that is to say;
  so far as our thoughts; inward feelings and states; or the operations of our imaginary powers are
  concerned。 But in like manner the manifold sensuous conceptions and feelings can only exist in a
  mind。 Locke certainly distinguished extension and movement; for example; as fundamental
  qualities; i。e。; as qualities which pertain to the objects in themselves。 But Berkeley very pertinently
  points out inconsistency here from the point of view that great and small; quick and slow; hold
  good as something relative; thus were extension and movement to be inherent or implicit; they
  could not be either large or small; quick or slow; that is; they could not be; for these
  determinations rest in the conception(3) of such qualities。 In Berkeley the relation of things to
  consciousness is alone dealt with; and beyond this relationship they do not in his view come。 From
  this it follows that it is only self…consciousness that possesses them; for a perception which is not in
  a conceiving mind is nothing: it is a direct contradiction。 There can be no substance; he says; which
  neither conceives nor perceives; and which is yet the substratum of perceptions and conceptions。
  If it is represented that there is something outside of consciousness which is similar to the
  conceptions; this is likewise contradictory; a conception can alone be similar to a conception; the
  idea to the idea alone。(4)
  Thus; while Locke's ultimate point is abstract substance; Being generally with the real
  determination of a substratum of accidents; Berkeley declares this substance to be the most
  incomprehensible assumption of all; but the incomprehensibility does not make this Being into an
  absolute nullity; nor does it make it in itself incomprehensible。(5) For Berkeley brings forward
  against the present existence of external objects only the inconceivability of the relation of a Being
  to mind。 This inconceivability; however; is destroyed in the Notion; for the Notion is the negative
  of things; and this moved Berkeley and Leibnitz to shut up the two sides in themselves。 There
  nevertheless remains a relationship of what is “other” to us; these feelings do not develop from us
  as Leibnitz represents; but are determined through somewhat else。 When Leibnitz speaks of
  development within the monads; it is nothing but empty talk; for the monads as they follow in
  succession have no inward connection。 Each individual is thus determined through another; and not
  through us; and it does not matter what this external is; since it remains a contingent。 Now in
  relation to the two sides of Leibnitz which are indifferent to one another; Berkeley says that such
  an “other” is quite superfluous。 Berkeley calls the other the objects; but these; he says; cannot be
  what we call matter; for spirit and matter cannot come together。(6) But the necessity of
  conceptions directly contradicts this Being…within…self of the conceiver; for the Being…within…self is
  the freedom of the conceiver; the latter does not; however; produce the conceptions with
  freedom; they have for him the form and determinateness of an independent “other。” Berkeley
  likewise does not accept idealism in the subjective sense; but only in respect that there are spirits
  which impart themselves (in the other case the subject forms his own conceptions); and
  consequently; that it is God alone who brings to pass such conceptions; thus the imaginations or
  conceptions which are produced by us with our individual activity remain separate from these
  others;(7) i。e。 from the implicit。
  This conception gives an instance of the difficulties which appear in regard to these questions; and
  which Berkeley wished to escape from in a quite original way。 The inconsistency in this system
  God has again to make good; He has to bear it all away; to Him the solution of the contradiction is
  left。 In this idealism; in short; the common sensuous view of the universe and the separation of
  actuality; as also the system of thought; of judgments devoid of Notion; remain exactly as before;
  plainly nothing in the content is altered but the abstract form that all things are perceptions only。(8)
  Such idealism deals with the opposition between consciousness and its object merely; and leaves
  the extension of the conceptions and the antagonisms of the empirical and manifold content quite
  untouched; and if we ask what then is the truth of these perceptions and conceptions; as we asked
  formerly of things; no answer is forthcoming。 It is pretty much a matter of indifference whether we
  believe in things or in perceptions; if self…consciousness remains possessed entirely by finalities; it
  receives the content in the ordinary way; and that content is of the ordinary kind。 In its individuality
  it stumbles about amid the conceptions of an entirely empirical existence; without knowing and
  understanding anything else about the content: that is to say in this formal idealism reason has no
  content of its own。
  As to what Berkeley further states in respect of the empirical content; where the object of his
  investigation becomes entirely psychological; it relates in the main to finding out the difference
  between the sensations of sight and feeling; and to discovering which kind of sensations belong to
  the one and which to the other。 This kind of investigation keeps entirely to the phenomenal; and
  only therein distinguishes the various sorts of phenomena; or comprehension only reaches as far as
  to distinctions。 The only point of interest is that these investigations have in their course chiefly
  lighted on space; and a dispute is carried on as to whether we obtain the conception of distance
  and so on; in short all the conceptions relating to space; through sight or feeling。 Space is just this
  sensuous universal; the universal in individuality itself; which in the empirical consideration of
  empirical multiplicity invites and leads us on to thought (for it itself is thought); and by it this very
  sensuous perception and reasoning respecting perception is in its action confused。 And since here
  perception finds an objective thought; it really would be led on to thought or to the possession of a
  thought; but at the same time it cannot arrive at thought in its completion; since thought or the
  Notion are not in question; and it clearly cannot come to the consciousness of true reality。 Nothing
  is thought in the form of thought; but only as an external; as something foreign to thought。
  David Hume (next section) — Contents
  1。 Nachrichten von dem Leben und den Schriften des Bischofs Berkeley (in Berkeley's ph