Berkeley, Psychologism, and the Modes of Existence

Piotr K. Szałek

doi:10.18290/rf25734.12

Published : 2025-12-29

Vol. 73 No. 4 (2025)

Berkeley, Psychologism, and the Modes of Existence

Piotr K. Szałek

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0805-425X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rf25734.12

Abstract

This paper aims to reconstruct and analyse the notion of the existence of the external world elaborated by George Berkeley. In order to accomplish this task, I will clarify the notion of existence as regards physical reality following the Berkeleian New Principle. I will examine the motivation for emphasising the importance of the notion of existence in respect of its metaphysical assumptions and possible influences by the closest metaphysical context to Berkeley’s philosophy. The metaphysical exegesis of Berkeley’s work helps to better understand the ambiguity connected to the degree of the external world’s mind dependence in his view. In other words, it helps to understand in what sense the world might be understood in psychologistic terms as a part of the existence of the mind perceiving.

Keywords:

existence, mind, external world, Descartes, Berkeley

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Szałek, P. K. (2025). Berkeley, Psychologism, and the Modes of Existence. Roczniki Filozoficzne, 73(4), 225–243. https://doi.org/10.18290/rf25734.12

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