The Bishop’s Church: Berkeley’s Master Argument and the Paradox of Knowability

Abstract

We can find in the passages that set out the Master Argument a precursor to the paradox of knowability. That paradox shows that if all truths are knowable, all truths are known. Similarly, Berkeley might be read as proposing that if all sensible objects are (distinctly) conceivable, then all sensible objects are conceived.

Confusion in the Bishop’s Church

“…In the opinion of Prior (1955), the latter is the claim that Berkeley had to establish to support his idealism, but which he failed to do. Berkeley's Master Argument, in the version of Kearns (2021) and with the implicit presuppositions of DCP made explicit, does lead to the needed conclusion.…”

“…Subsequently, we will introduce two key theses, in which these notions figure. Then we will proceed to discuss Kearns (2021)'s version of Berkeley (1713)'s Master Argument, which demonstrates a logical incompatibility between the two theses. Finally, we discuss the dialectical situation.…”

“…In section 1 we will give a brief exposition of Kearns (2021)'s version of Berkeley (1713)'s so-called 'Master Argument'. 1 The key premise is the Distinct Conceivability Thesis, which states that, if a sensible object has or lacks a thinkable quality, then that it is distinctly conceivable it is the case.…”