more from George Berkeley

Single Idea 3932

[catalogued under 13. Knowledge Criteria / E. Relativism / 3. Subjectivism]

Full Idea

Suppose now one of your hands hot, and the other cold, and that they are both at once put into the same vessel of water, in an intermediate state; will not the water seem cold to one hand, and warm to the other?

Gist of Idea

A hot hand and a cold hand will have different experiences in the same tepid water

Source

George Berkeley (Three Dialogues of Hylas and Philonous [1713], I p.158)

Book Reference

Berkeley,George: 'The Principles of Human Knowledge etc.', ed/tr. Warnock,G.J. [Fontana 1962], p.158


A Reaction

A nice clear example of how some relativism must be acknowledged. It feels hot, but what is its temperature in degrees C?