Berkeley and Malebranche on Human Freedom

For Berkeley, I am not a substance who just happens to associate ideas; rather, I am the differentiation and association of those ideas, the will that there be such an order, variety, and comprehension. In creating minds, God creates an infinity of active principles in terms of which objects are intentionally identified in virtue of actions for which we are justifiably held responsible. As Malebranche suggests, God impels us toward the good in general, but we fixate on particular goods. For both thinkers, we need to see how things exhibit God’s grandeur in being related in infinite ways. In this way, we are freed to identify all things as purposive and harmonious.

Ekphrasis

This chapter examines the literary technique of ekphrasis, defining it in terms of its intended effect on the audience: the vivid representation of an image to the mind’s eye, so as to evoke an emotional or other response. Ekphrasis makes an object appear present to an audience; it can be rich in detail or deftly brief. Both modes engage the audience in the imaginative recreation of the object, person or scene in their mind. This chapter also examines other aspects of crafting a text using ekphrasis: order, variety, and reading objects as texts. It argues that ekphrasis prompts questions about the thing described: Who is the maker? Who is the observer? And why is it absent?