A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (Cosimo Classics Philosophy)

by George Berkeley

Paperback, 2005

Status

Available

Call number

121

Collections

Your library, Philosophy, Sociology & Political Science

Publication

Cosimo Classics (2005), 132 pages

Description

Philosophy. Psychology. Religion & Spirituality. Nonfiction. HTML: Born and educated in Ireland, the eighteenth-century philosopher George Berkeley developed an influential school of thought that later came to be described as "subjective idealism." In A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, Berkeley lays out the basic principles of his theory..

User reviews

LibraryThing member the.ken.petersen

Have you ever been to one of those parties where, at about 1.30 a.m., some want-to-be intellectual who, like yourself, has imbibed too frequently and slept too infrequently, insinuates himself next to you and asks, "If a tree falls in the forest, when nobody is there to hear; does it make a

sound?"

I must have something about me that draws these pseudo philosophers into my orbit because it has happened sufficiently often for me to develop a means of dealing with the situation. I simply reply, "Yes." and move in the opposite direction as fast as my booze befuddled legs will take me. Not elegant, not witty, but effective.

Why do I bring this up now? Because, this book is the written version of how that stupid question develops, if one doesn't deal with the inquisitor promptly, and firmly.

It is pleasing to note that three hundred years ago some twonk could seriously propose, as an antidote to the flawed argument of Locke, that material objects do not exist. All that exists is our perception of them, given by God. What is less pleasing is the thought of another drunken know-it-all reworking the thesis at the next party that I attend: perhaps I'll take this book, sit him (why is it always a 'him'?) down in a corner and delight for the rest of the night/morning in wicked thoughts of what the next poor sap to be cornered by him will get.

You will notice that I gave this book one and a half stars; this was for the excellent introduction by G.J. Warnock: were I to possess the intelligence to have taken his excellent précis of the thoughts of Berkeley and Locke and deduced that all further effort would be waste, I might have at least doubled the star content of the review. So, who's the fool?

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LibraryThing member jburlinson

Those familiar with Norton's series of critical editions might be startled by the layout of this volume; since the critical essays precede the text, instead of following behind at a properly obsequious distance. Please do not be enticed into following this format. Turn immediately to the

Principles, for if you start with the critical material you will likely never reach the promised land. Berkeley had many original things to say, and he was gifted with an excellent prose style. Neither, unfortunately, was passed along to all of his commentators; although I did particularly enjoy the essay "The place of God in Berkeley's philosophy", by J. D. Mabbott.

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LibraryThing member jpsnow

In his introduction, David Armstrong argues that Berkeley is studied because he was a trailblazer in philosophical thought, despite the fact that his assumptions are invalid. Berkeley actually made multiple attempts to convince others of his thesis, following this essay with a more casual style in

his "Three Dialogues." I found Berkeley very difficult to read, mostly because the meaning of specific terms seems to shift throughout the argument. Perhaps better scholars than I are able to follow the flow. Nonetheless, I hold to the conviction that part of our advance in argument has come about through the use of more specific terms. The point with which I am most in agreement is more of an aside by Berkeley -- that man tends to over-complicate thinking and therefore loses the true meaning behind many things. Unfortunately, he seems to do the same within the pages after that point. Even if all of his points held, he results in a metaphyisical world that appears and disappears as we blink. Berkeley goes on to expound upon certain possibilities, such as God also perceiving that the objects exist and thus holding that they always exist.

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