Question

Philosophy related. I need assistance in writing a one page essay. Answering the following information.

Philosophy question 1. George Berkeley argues that "To be is to be perceived." Can someone assist me with summarizing and making out to such claim. Also including an offer to a critque or defense of his position?

2. Jean-Paul Sartre claims that there is no universal human nature, but a universal human condition. Can someone assist me with summarizing his view and also offer a critique or defense of his position?

Answer 1

"To be is to be perceived." According to Berkley, things exist only when we are able to perceive them. He points out that in order for a thing to be perceived it should have few physical matters such as shape, color etc. Berkley is a realist who invites people to believe things that exist and according to him things that we are not able to perceive do not exist in reality. For example, if someone says God is, then Berkley would say I’m not able to perceive God and there is no God in reality. Abstract concepts such as love, kindness etc. cannot be perceived but it could only be experienced and sensed, so this would be drawback in Berkley’s concept.

According to Sartre, there is no universal human nature but only human condition. He tries to prove that we are all biological beings whose existence proceeds ones essence and not vice versa. He suggests that there is no supernatural element or God who created us but we exist, so we need to identify the purpose of life and achieve it. We choose what we want to become and not anything else. So, existence and freedom to choose things make us very unique and different from each other because each one becomes what they want to become.