Introducing Empiricism: A Graphic Guide (Graphic Guides)

by Dave Robinson

Locke concluded that the existence of a physical world was probable if not provable. Berkeley was more radical: anything that cannot be perceived is not just unprovable but cannot exist.

therefore closely associated with the slogan “Esse est Percipi” – to exist is to be perceived.

Hence, we still misleadingly talk about “sunrise”, when presumably we should talk about “earthfall”.

Similarly, the word “cat” is no more than the name we give to recurring patterns or “clusters” of sense experiences like shape, size, colour, movement, furry texture, musty smell and purring sounds.

Berkeley also explains why it is that the word “exists” means the same as “is perceived”.