Israel Centeno Author

Berkeley and Bernardo Kastrup’s Analytic Idealism: Why the Catholic Approach is Not a Materialist Worldview Despite Recognizing an Objective Reality

Berkeleyan idealism, a philosophical position developed by George Berkeley in the early 18th century, asserts that material objects do not exist independently of the mind. According to Berkeley, all that exists are minds and ideas; the physical world exists only as it is perceived by a mind. He famously summarized this with the phrase “esse est percipi”, meaning “to be is to be perceived.” In this view, the external world depends on perception, and Berkeley believed that God plays a crucial role as the ultimate perceiver, sustaining the existence of the world.

While Berkeley’s idealism emphasizes God as central to maintaining the existence of the world, we must exercise caution when using it to approach God from a Catholic theological perspective. Here’s why:

1. God’s Nature and Creation

In Catholic theology, God is the Creator of all things—both material and immaterial. The Church teaches that God created the world ex nihilo (out of nothing) and that the material world has an objective reality independent of human perception. This is affirmed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), which says:

“The world was created for the glory of God” (CCC 293), and “Man is the summit of the Creator’s work” (CCC 343).

God’s creation is good and real, as stated in Genesis 1:31 (CPDV):

“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”

Thus, while Berkeley’s idealism emphasizes God’s role in sustaining the world, Catholic teaching affirms that the material world exists independently of human perception because God created it as objectively real.

2. The Role of Human Perception

Berkeleyan idealism could potentially lead to a misunderstanding of the relationship between human perception and reality. In contrast, Catholic teaching holds that while our senses allow us to perceive the world, the existence of the world is not dependent on our perception. Saint Thomas Aquinas, for instance, emphasized that our knowledge begins with the senses, but the reality of the world itself is not contingent upon our perception of it. He writes in his Summa Theologiae (I, q. 84, a. 6):

“The object of the intellect is the essence of a thing, not as existing in the intellect, but as existing in reality.”

3. God’s Continuous Providence

Catholic theology teaches that God continuously sustains creation in existence, similar to Berkeley’s idea of God as the ultimate perceiver. St. Paul says in Acts 17:28 (CPDV):

“For in him we live, and move, and are.”

However, this does not imply that the material world is merely an idea in God’s mind, as Berkeley suggests. Catholic theology asserts that God sustains the world as a real, objective creation, independent of human perception, though entirely dependent on God for its existence.

Bernardo Kastrup’s Analytic Idealism

Analytic Idealism, as proposed by modern philosophers like Bernardo Kastrup, is a contemporary form of idealism that suggests that reality is fundamentally mental in nature. In this view, the physical world is a manifestation of a universal consciousness, and individual minds are dissociated parts of this larger, overarching mind. Kastrup argues that what we perceive as the material world is essentially a mental construct within this universal consciousness.

While Analytic Idealism shares some similarities with Berkeleyan Idealism, it’s framed in a more modern, scientifically-informed context. However, as with Berkeley’s idealism, there are important theological and philosophical concerns when approaching God through this lens from a Catholic perspective.

1. God and Creation

In Catholic theology, God is not just a “universal consciousness” in the sense of being the totality of all minds or experiences. God is transcendent, meaning that He is wholly other than His creation, even though He is also immanent (present within creation). The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states:

“God is infinitely greater than all his works: ‘You have set your glory above the heavens.’ Indeed, God’s ‘greatness is unsearchable’” (CCC 300).

In Analytic Idealism, the idea of a universal consciousness can blur the distinction between Creator and creation, a key point in Catholic doctrine. The Church teaches that God created the world ex nihilo (out of nothing), and this creation is distinct from God, though it depends on Him for its continued existence. God is not merely the sum total of all minds or experiences but rather the Creator and Sustainer of all things, both material and immaterial.

2. The Trinity

A significant theological issue is the doctrine of the Holy Trinity. God is understood as one in essence but existing in three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This emphasizes that God is not a simple, undifferentiated consciousness. Each Person of the Trinity is fully God, yet distinct in relation to one another.

Analytic Idealism, with its emphasis on a single, universal consciousness, does not seem to account for the Trinitarian nature of God. The Trinitarian doctrine shows that God is a communion of Persons, a central mystery of the faith. The Catechism explains:

“The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. It is the mystery of God in himself” (CCC 234).

3. The Reality of the Material World

Would you like to explore Aquinas’ metaphysical framework or his arguments for the existence of God?

In Catholic theology, the material world is real and good. God created the material world, and it is not merely an illusion or a mental construct. Genesis tells us that God saw all that He had made, and it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31 CPDV). The Incarnation of Christ—God becoming man in the person of Jesus—further affirms the goodness and reality of the material world. Jesus took on a real, physical body, and His Resurrection was a bodily one.

Analytic Idealism, which suggests that the material world is a manifestation of a universal mind, can lead to the idea that the material world is less real or even illusory. This contrasts with the Catholic understanding, which affirms the objective reality of the material world. The Catechism teaches:

“The visible universe, then, is itself destined to be transformed, ‘so that the world itself, restored to its original state, facing no further obstacles, should be at the service of the just,’ sharing their glorification in the risen Jesus Christ” (CCC 1047).

4. Human Nature and the Soul

In Catholic teaching, human beings are composed of both body and soul. The soul is the spiritual principle of a human being, created directly by God, and it is immortal. The body, while material, is also an essential part of human nature. This understanding is rooted in the belief that humans are made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). The body and soul together form the unity of the human person.

Analytic Idealism, with its emphasis on consciousness, may downplay the importance of the body and the material aspect of human nature. However, Catholic teaching affirms the dignity and importance of the body, especially in light of the Incarnation and the Resurrection of the body at the end of time. Saint Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 (CPDV):

“So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it shall rise in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it shall rise in glory. It is sown in weakness, it shall rise in power. It is sown a natural body, it shall rise a spiritual body.”

This shows that the body is not merely a temporary or illusory part of human existence, but something that will be transformed and glorified in the resurrection.

Conclusion

While Analytic Idealism offers interesting insights into the nature of consciousness and reality, it is not fully compatible with Catholic theology’s understanding of God, creation, and the nature of the material world. Catholic teaching emphasizes the distinction between Creator and creation, the reality and goodness of the material world, and the unique nature of the human person as both body and soul.

If you are seeking a philosophical approach to understanding God that aligns with Catholic doctrine, you might find Thomistic metaphysics—particularly the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas—to be a more coherent and theologically sound framework. Aquinas’ understanding of being, essence, and existence provides a robust way to approach the mystery of God while maintaining the distinction between Creator and creation.