Table 15. Subjective idealism in Modern Philosophy

Representatives	Ideas about the outside world	Theory of knowledge
J. Berkeley	The world outside of human sensations does not exist ("to be is to be in perception").	Ideas are given by God and assimilated by the human soul; the process of cognition is the projection of these ideas. The criterion of truth is the brightness and general acceptance of ideas.	A G N O S T I C I S M
D. Hume	Вопрос о существовании объективного мира неразрешим.	The process of cognition is the construction of the world from one's own sensations and impressions, the causes of which are incomprehensible. The task of cognition is not to explain the world, but to orient a person in practical life.
I. Kant	The natural world exists objectively (" thing-in-itself "); the world of human thought exists according to its own laws.	3 forms of knowledge: 1) sensuality: reflects the world in sensations gives subjective knowledge; 2) reason: systematizes sensations with the help of concepts; deals not with a thing, but with its image does not provide reliable knowledge; 3) reason: the ability to draw conclusions with the help of "pure", i.e. not based on experience concepts leads to contradictions ("antinomy").

 

 

Basic concepts of the topic..

Antinomy - see Topic 8.

Atheism (Greek: a-negation and Teos-God) is an ideological trend that forms in the New European philosophy of the XVIII – XIX centuries, from a scientific point of view, denying the existence of God.

The thing-in-itself -see Topic 8.

Deduction (Latin: deducto-deduction) is a method of cognition based on the movement of thought from the general to the particular; deducing a statement (consequence) from one or more other statements.

Deism (lat. Deus-God) - an ideological current that recognizes God as the first cause of existence, but assumes that after creation the world develops according to its own laws, God does not interfere in the ongoing processes.

Dualism - see Topic 1.

Induction – Lat. inductio-guidance) - a method of scientific research that involves the movement of thought from the particular to the general, from individual facts to general statements and conclusions.

Mechanismism -see Topic 2.

Monism (Greek: monos-one) is a philosophical doctrine that asserts a single principle of all things. The opposite of monism is dualism.

Objective idealism -see Topic 1.

Pantheism -see Topic 6.

Enlightenment - a movement of progressive social thought, which originated in the XVIII century. in France. The philosophy of the Enlightenment is based on the cult of the human mind, the perception of it as the main tool for the transformation of society. Representatives of the philosophy of the French Enlightenment: F. Voltaire, C. Helvetius, P.-A. Holbach, D. Diderot, J. Lametri, J.-J. Rousseau et al.

Rationalism (Latin: rationalis-rational) is an epistemological principle that considers the activity of the human mind as the main means of knowledge.

Sensualism (Latin: sensus-sensation) is an epistemological principle that emphasizes the special role of the senses in the process of cognition. The basic tenet of sensualism is "there is nothing in the mind that was not originally in the senses."

Subjective idealism -see Topic 1.

The theory of the social contract is an idealistic teaching about the emergence of the state as a result of a consciously concluded contract between people, according to which they give up part of their personal freedoms in favor of the state in exchange for ensuring their security.

Empiricism (Greek empeiria-experience) is an epistemological principle that recognizes experimental data as the most important source of knowledge about the world.

Personalities

George Berkeley (1685-1753) was an English philosopher, a prominent representative of subjective idealism, who argued that the world does not exist independently of man, but is a complex of sensations and perceptions. The main works: "A treatise on the principles of human knowledge", "Three conversations between Hylas and Philonus", etc.

Bacon Francis (1561-1626) was an English thinker and statesman, the founder of materialism and empiricism in Modern philosophy. Main works: "New Organon" - a work on the methodology of scientific knowledge, "New Atlantis" - a social utopia, which reveals the role of science and technology for the comprehensive development of society, etc.

Voltaire Francois (1694-1778) – one of the leaders of the French Enlightenment, philosopher, writer, historian. Being a representative of mechanical materialism, he at the same time recognized the idea of a creator God (de-ism). In the theory of knowledge, he developed sensualism. The main works are: "Philosophical letters", "A Treatise on Metaphysics", etc.

Helvetius Claude (1715-1771) was a French philosopher, representative of materialism and sensualism. In the field of social philosophy, he developed the idea of the determining role of the social environment in the formation of a person. Main works: "About the mind", "About man".

Hobbes Thomas (1588-1679) was an English philosopher, a prominent representative of empiricism and mechanismism. In the field of social philosophy, he became the main proponent of the theory of the social contract. Main works: "Philosophical elements of the doctrine of the citizen", "Leviathan".

Paul Henri Holbach (1723-1789) was a prominent representative of materialism and atheism in the philosophy of the French Enlightenment. The main work is the "System of Nature", the main idea of which is about the reducibility of all phenomena of nature to various forms of motion of matter.

Descartes Rene (1596-1650) was a French philosopher and scientist, the representative of dualism and the founder of rationalism in the philosophy of the New Age. As a natural scientist, he became one of the founders of physiology. Main works: "The beginnings of philosophy", "Discourses on method".

Diderot Denis (1713-1784) was a French educator, philosopher, and writer. The head of the newspaper published in 1751-1780. Encyclopedia, which became one of the forms of expression of philosophical ideas of the Enlightenment (with the participation of D. Diderot, S. Montesquieu, J.-J.Rousseau, F. Voltaire, et al.)

Lametri Julien Ofre (1709-1751) was a French philosopher and physician, a prominent representative of mechanistic materialism, who extended the principles of mechanismto medical activities. The main pro-izvedenie – "Man-machine".

Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm (1646-1716) was a German philosopher and scientist who made a significant contribution to the development of mathematics and physics. The author of the objective-idealistic doctrine of monads-indivisible spiritual substations. The main philosophical work is "Monadology".

John Locke (1632-1704) was an English philosopher, physician, and natural scientist; a prominent representative of sensualism and skepticism. In the field of social philosophy, he developed the theory of the social contract. As a doctor and naturalist, he defended the idea of the dependence of the human psyche on the environment. The main work is "Experience about the human mind".

Rousseau Jean - Jacques (1712-1778) - a representative of the French enlightenment, philosopher, sociologist, and writer. He stood on the positions of deism and dualism, and developed the ideas of sensualism in the theory of knowledge. In the field of social philosophy, he was a proponent of the theory of the social contract. The main socio-philosophical works: "Reasoning about the origin and foundations of inequality among people", "On the social contract".

Spinoza Benedict (Baruch) (1632-1677) was a Dutch philosopher, a representative of rationalism and pantheism in modern philosophy (the study of substance and modes). The main philosophical work is "Ethics".

Hume David (1711-1776) was an English philosopher, historian, psychologist, and representative of subjective idealism. Hume believed that a person does not deal with the outside world, but with the flow of his feelings and ideas. Main works: "A Treatise on Human nature", "Natural History of the Republic", etc.