John Locke and David Hume of Epistemology on the Problem of Perception
John Locke and David Hume
of Epistemology on the Problem of Perception
Discuss how the two philosophies treat the case of a strawberry, which normally appears red, seeming to be purple under a blue light. How do the two epistemologies explain the process of seeing the strawberry as a different color under different light?
Knowing is a justified, true belief[1], but belief can base on many sources: experience, senses, thinking, science or even faith. With Empiricism, what our knowledge is from sensation, experience. However, we also have many different ways to perceive knowledge like John Locke and David Hume. Although, they are empiricists who claim that knowing is from experience, they have different ways to reach knowledge through experience. Locke says “All ideas come from sensation and reflection”[2]; sensation is external sense and reflection is internal sense, while Hume says “we are only known by experience”[3], “foundation of all our reasonings and conclusions concerning that relation is experience”[4]; especially we need analytic and synthetic method in knowing process. To make clear these views, we will treat the case of a strawberry, which normally appears red, seeming to be purple under a blue light to know how they explain the process of seeing the strawberry as a different color under different light.
First,Locke’s thought. He says our mind is a “tabula rasa” - Blank Slate[5]. This means when we are born, our minds are completely empty of all ideas. There are no innate ideas in the mind. All of our knowledge come from experience of the physical world, through sensory perception. Experience supports the understanding with ideas, is the perception of the operations of our own mind within us. Moreover, the great source of most of the ideas which we have, depending on our senses and derived from them to the understanding is sensation.[6] He distinguished between primary sense qualities - extension, figure, motion, solidity and secondary sense qualities - color, sound, taste, smell and touch.[7] Therefore, we come back with the case of a strawberry. First, base on experience and sensation (sight - color), we know when a strawberry is ripe, it will be red. If when we were a child and we had chance to see a ripe strawberry, our “blank slate” perceived that a ripe strawberry will have red in normal conditions or if we did not see a ripe strawberry, we knew by study, observation or experience of others. Clearly, a ripe strawberry appears or only appears to be red from data sense - eyes. Next, color of a ripe strawberry which our eyes see (appearance of skin) and this data delivers to our mind help us to know that the idea about a ripe strawberry will have red color. Therefore, a strawberry to be red means simply that we experience a red sense content when the strawberry is seen under normal conditions. However, how about under abnormal conditions like the case we see the strawberry under blue light- the strawberry seems to be purple. Is purple still a sense data or thinking? Of course, with Locke the strawberry under blue light seems to be purple color because of experience. Although, the strawberry appears a different color under different light from red to purple through blue light, we perceive by sensation. When we look at a red object through blue light, we will get a purple object. Although, under a different light, the strawberry changed color, the strawberry is still a red object itself. So in the condition without blue light, the strawberry will be red. However, with Locke, we can see misperception of object. Red or purple of the strawberry which reflects from our senses, our mind. Whether it is a natural process of object or physical reaction. We only acknowledge by our senses, experience when we perceive data of color from object. The strawberry manifest color, appearance, so we only know external world of strawberry and we do not know anything internal world of strawberry. Why does the strawberry itself have red color? Therefore, we depend on too much experience, senses (subjectivism).
Next, David Hume. Like Locke, Hume believed the mind is a “blank slate” at birth. Hume believes there are no innate ideas or abilities within us, but everything is acquired through experience. Hume thought all ideas come from two types of experience: external and internal impressions.[8] External impressions come through our senses, while internal impressions come from internal reflection. Next, Hume distinguishes between relations of ideas and matters of fact[9]. Relations of ideas are usually mathematical truths and matters of fact are the more common truths we learn through our experiences. However, he says we must limit ourselves by accepting that matters of fact are our sole source of true information. So, coming back to the case of a strawberry. Like Locke, we can acknowledge color of strawberry in experience which we know by eye, observation . By a fact or past or memory with synthetic method, we will have a data about a ripe strawberry from mind. So it becomes a familiar image in the mind, a experience by our sense (sight) that it is sufficient to know the color of a strawberry. Red color is a immanent attribute of any ripe strawberry in normal condition and we acknowledge this data from a cumulative process experience ( synthetic process) by senses and experiences. Moreover, we perceive the red color of a strawberry by the cause and effect through law of nature - the developed circle of the ripe strawberry. From appearance, property, manifestation, these sources are external impressions which help us to know color of the strawberry. Furthermore, the case the strawberry under blue light, it seems to be purple. Did the immanent attribute of the strawberry change? No, the immanent attribute of the ripe strawberry is still red. It only changes color under a physical condition. At this time, the idea and impression about color of the strawberry is still red. Because the immanent attribute of strawberry which exists in our mind do not change. Purple which we perceive is only physical reaction that we know by experience. Now we can imagine, if we put the strawberry under another light, not blue light, we surely will perceive another color, not purple or red. The manifestation of the strawberry only changes the color of skin, not the immanent attribute itself. Therefore, we say that the ripe strawberry normally appears red, and under abnormal condition, appearance of skin will change, but the attribute of redness do not change. However, with Hume, if we only know is sense impression, what is the idea of the object? Although, he focuses on impression of object rather than idea of object and explains knowing perception by cause and effect, he also agrees ideas are products of the intellect.
In conclusion, clearly through the way Hume and Locke perceive knowledge of the strawberry, we can know their thoughts of empiricism more. They all have a common background of perception knowing is Experience, Sensation and deny innate ideas. However, each one has a different way to gain knowing. Locke honestly proposed the possibility of deriving knowledge from experience, while Hume says we not only perceive impression of object, but we also perceive idea of object. If Locke focuses on primary sense qualities and secondary sense qualities of object (external world), Hume focuses on impression, ideas, cause and effect of object (internal world). Although, they still have some problem in their thought of knowing perception, they tried to contribute into empiricism - Knowing comes from experience.
[1] Vincent G. Potter, On Understanding Understanding, Fordham University Press, New York, 2014. Page 3.
[2] Vincent G. Potter, Readings in Epistemology, Fordham University Press, New York, 1993. Page 57.
[3] Vincent G. Potter, Readings in Epistemology, Fordham University Press, New York, 1993. Page 140.
[4] Vincent G. Potter, Readings in Epistemology, Fordham University Press, New York, 1993. Page 142.
[5] https://alexjdelaney.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/empiricism-from-Locke-to-hume/
[6] Vincent G. Potter, Readings in Epistemology, Fordham University Press, New York, 1993. Page 58.
[7] Vincent G. Potter, On Understanding Understanding, Fordham University Press, New York, 2014. Page 65.
[8] https://alexjdelaney.wordpress.com/2013/02/06/empiricism-from-Locke-to-hume/
[9] http://www.sparknotes.com/philosophy/hume/section4.rhtml
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