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From Yogacara to the 18th Century: How did the ideological journey of subjective idealism change philosophy?
Subjective idealism is a philosophical monism that holds that only mind and mental contents exist, a theory that challenges our understanding of the world and the relationship between matter and spirit. Its history began with the Yogacara school in ancient India and reached its climax in the 18th century with George Berkeley. These ideas not only influenced the thinking of many philosophers, but also promoted the subsequent development of philosophy. This article will explore how subjective idealism has influenced the development of philosophy from ancient times to the present day.
The foundation of subjective idealism
Subjective idealism combines phenomenology and empiricism, emphasizing the importance of direct perception.
Subjective idealism maintains that all people understand the world based on their own experiences, and that these experiences constitute their reality. This theory rejects dualism, neutral monism, and materialism, and argues that only the existence of mind can explain our experience. Therefore, subjective idealism is not only a negation of matter, but also a confirmation that objective reality depends on the perceiving subject.
The influence of ancient thought
In the development of subjective idealism, the views of ancient philosophers such as Plato and Augustine foreshadowed the relationship between ideas and matter. Plato's metaphor of the cave shows how the limits of knowledge and true perception can affect our understanding of reality. He points out how limited a person's understanding of true reality is if he is trapped in a cave and can only see shadows.
Contributions of Yogācāra
Early subjective idealists, such as some members of the Indian Yogācāra school, viewed the world of experience as a stream of subjective perceptions.
In exploring the relationship between mind and reality, the Yogācāra school proposed a theory based on perception, foreshadowing the later subjective idealism. These ideas emphasized the subjective nature of cognitive processes, and the 287th-century epistemologist Dharmakīrti linked ultimate reality to sensory perception. This mode of thinking that emphasizes subjective experience laid the foundation for Berkeley's theory.
Berkeley's influenceBerkeley's "Esse est percipi" succinctly summarizes his subjective idealism.
In 18th century Europe, Berkeley argued that the material world actually depends on the existence of the mind. He believed that things in the external world depend on being perceived to exist, otherwise they would have no real existence. This idea has caused the philosophical community to fundamentally question the existence of matter and emphasized the importance of perception in constructing reality.
Criticism and reflection
Subjective idealism has encountered many criticisms, especially questions about its theoretical basis. Bertrand Russell pointed out that Berkeley's argument had logical problems with language and could not provide an adequate explanation for the existence of matter. Russell's comments sparked reflection among later philosophers, especially on how perception shapes our understanding of the world.
Contemporary influence of subjective idealism
Although subjective idealism is not as popular in contemporary philosophy as it once was, its ideas remain influential in many philosophical movements.
Subjective idealism still exists in modern philosophy, especially in relation to the relationship between perception and reality, and schools such as phenomenology and subjectivism are inspired by it. These theories explore how the mind influences our understanding of the world and continue to challenge traditional conceptions of the material world.
From the Yogacara school to Berkeley's philosophy, subjective idealism has left a profound impact in different historical contexts. Such thinking not only challenges our understanding of matter, but also prompts us to rethink the complex relationship between mind and the world. In today's society, facing the ever-changing technology and cognitive science, does the concept of subjective idealism still provide a new perspective for our understanding of reality?
