George Berkeley

George Berkeley (British English:/{{IPA|?b??.kli?}}/; Irish English: /{{IPA|?b??.kli}}/) (March 12, 1685 – January 14, 1753), also known as Bishop Berkeley, was an influential Irish philosopher whose primary philosophical achievement is the advancement of what has come to be called subjective idealism, summed up in his dictum, "Esse est percipi" ("To be is to be perceived"). Basically, the theory is that we can only directly know sensations and ideas of objects, not abstractions such as "matter". He wrote a number of works, the most widely-read of which are his Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (1710) and Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous (1713) (Philonous, the "lover of the mind", representing Berkeley himself). In 1734 he published The Analyst, a critique of the foundations of science, which was very influential in the subsequent development of mathematics.

Related Topics:
British English - Irish English - March 12 - 1685 - January 14 - 1753 - Irish - Philosopher - Subjective idealism - Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge - 1710 - Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous - 1713 - 1734 - The Analyst

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The city of Berkeley, California is named after him, but the pronunciation of its name has evolved to suit American English.

Related Topics:
Berkeley, California - American English

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A residential college in Yale University also bears his name.

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