Distance and movement in Berkeley: the perception\'s metaphysics

Author(s)

Pablo Enrique Abraham Zunino

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH/SBD)
• Defense date: 2006-06-27

Examining board members

Franklin Leopoldo e Silva; Luiz Henrique Lopes dos Santos; Plinio Junqueira Smith

• Advisor: Franklin Leopoldo e Silva

Abstract

This dissertation examines the relation between perception and experience in Berkeley\'s philosophy, clarifying its main ontological and epistemological aspects, in order to provide a clear understanding of the identification between being and perceiving. In first place, we define three philosophical positions that constitute Berkeley\'s thought context, that is, cartesianism, skepticism and corpuscularism. In sight of this, we argue two central subjects - distance and movement - while decisive points in understanding Berkeley\'s inflection in treatment of questions concerned with knowledge and representation. Finally, we detach an instrumentalist conception of science defended by Berkeley, from the distinction between physics and metaphysics and from the analysis of causality concept. (AU)