George Berkeley
Anglo-Irish philosopher and founder of immaterialism
George Berkeley (1685–1753), often referred to as Bishop Berkeley, was an Anglo-Irish philosopher, writer, and clergyman. He is credited with founding immaterialism, a theory later called subjective idealism. The German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer dubbed him “the father of idealism.” Berkeley was a key figure in the empiricist tradition, and his ideas were widely cited across 18th-century Europe, influencing thinkers like Immanuel Kant and David Hume.
Born at Dysart Castle near Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Berkeley was the eldest of six brothers. He attended Kilkenny College and Trinity College Dublin, where he became a Scholar in 1702, earned a BA in 1704, and later an MA and a Junior Fellowship in 1707. After his degree, he worked at Trinity as a librarian, Greek lecturer, and preacher. His first publication was on mathematics, but his 1709 work *An Essay Towards a New Theory of Vision* brought him recognition. In it, he argued that sight does not directly perceive material objects but only light and color, a view that later became accepted in optics. He was ordained a priest in 1710, though this led to a legal dispute because the Archbishop of Dublin had not been consulted.
Berkeley’s most famous philosophical work, *A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge*, appeared in 1710. It argued that physical objects are merely collections of ideas and exist only when perceived. The book was poorly received, so he rewrote its ideas in dialogue form as *Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous* (1713). In these dialogues, Philonous (“lover of mind”) represents Berkeley’s views, while Hylas (“matter”) stands for his opponents, especially John Locke. The theory denied material substance and claimed that tables, chairs, and other objects are ideas in the mind, unable to exist without being perceived. Berkeley also critiqued abstraction as a key part of his argument for immaterialism. His goal was to counter the materialism of his time, but the theory was largely met with ridicule, even from admirers like Samuel Clarke and William Whiston, who thought his principles false.
Berkeley traveled to England, where he joined the circle of Addison, Pope, and Steele. Between 1714 and 1720, he took extensive Grand Tours across Europe, including a lengthy journey through Italy. In 1721, he published *De Motu* (On Motion), which challenged Isaac Newton’s concepts of absolute space, time, and motion, anticipating later arguments by Ernst Mach and Albert Einstein. That same year, he received his doctorate in divinity and returned to Trinity College Dublin to lecture in Divinity and Hebrew. He became Dean of Dromore in 1721/2 and Dean of Derry in 1724. In 1723, he was named co-heir of Esther Vanhomrigh, following her quarrel with Jonathan Swift.
Later works included *Alciphron* (1732), a Christian defense against free-thinkers, and *The Analyst* (1734), a critique of calculus that influenced mathematics. Berkeley died in Oxford in 1753 and was buried in Christ Church Cathedral. He is often considered the most influential Irish philosopher. Interest in his work surged after World War II, as it addressed 20th-century concerns about perception, primary and secondary qualities, and language. In the early 19th century, his ideas gained popularity in the United States, leading to the naming of the University of California, Berkeley, the city of Berkeley, California, and Berkeley College at Yale.
- born
- 12 March 1685
- died
- 14 January 1753
- field
- Philosophy, theology, mathematics
- nationality
- Anglo-Irish
- known_for
- Immaterialism (subjective idealism), critique of abstraction, empiricism
Lore & Background
Berkeley was born at his family home, Dysart Castle, near Thomastown, County Kilkenny, Ireland, the eldest son of William Berkeley. He was educated at Kilkenny College and attended Trinity College Dublin. He was elected a Scholar in 1702, awarded BA in 1704, and MA and a Junior Fellowship in 1707. He remained at Trinity College as a librarian, lecturer in Greek language and preacher. His earliest publication was on mathematics, but the first that brought him notice was An Essay towards a New Theory of Vision (1709). He was ordained as a priest in 1710. In 1710 he published A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, followed in 1713 by Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous. He visited England and was received into the circle of Addison, Pope and Steele. Between 1714 and 1720 he traveled extensively in Europe. In 1721 he took Holy orders in the Church of Ireland, earning his doctorate in divinity, and lectured at Trinity College in Divinity and Hebrew. He was made Dean of Dromore in 1721/2 and Dean of Derry in 1724. In 1723 he was named co-heir of Esther Vanhomrigh. In 1725 he began the project of founding a college in Bermuda. On 1 August 1728 he married Anne Forster. He then went to America on a salary of £100 per annum. He landed near Newport, Rhode Island, where he bought a plantation at Middletown – the famous 'Whitehall'. Berkeley purchased several enslaved Africans to work on the plantation. He lived at the plantation while he waited for funds for his college, but the funds were not forthcoming, and in 1732 he left America and returned to London. He and Anne had four children who survived infancy – Henry, George, William and Julia – and at least two others who did not. Berkeley was nominated Bishop of Cloyne on 18 January 1734 and consecrated on 19 May 1734. He was Bishop of Cloyne until his death on 14 January 1753. He died in Oxford and was buried in Christ Church Cathedral.
Reader's Guide
Berkeley argued against Isaac Newton's doctrine of absolute space, time and motion in De Motu (1721). In 1732 he published Alciphron, a Christian apologetic against the free-thinkers, and in 1734 he published The Analyst, a critique of the foundations of calculus. His last two publications were Siris: A Chain of Philosophical Reflexions and Inquiries Concerning the Virtues of Tarwater (1744) and Fu. Berkeley's theory denies the existence of material substance and contends that familiar objects are ideas perceived by the mind. He is also known for his critique of abstraction. Berkeley remains arguably the most influential of Irish philosophers, and interest in his ideas increased greatly after World War II. Public interest in his views increased significantly in the United States during the early 19th century, and as a result, the University of California, Berkeley, the city of Berkeley, California, and Berkeley College, Yale, were all named after him.
Did You Know?
- Berkeley's first major work, An Essay Towards a New Theory of Vision (1709), argued that the proper objects of sight are not material objects but light and colour.
- Berkeley's theory of immaterialism denies the existence of material substance; familiar objects like tables and chairs are ideas perceived by the mind.
- Berkeley purchased several enslaved Africans to work on his plantation in Rhode Island.
- In 2023, Trinity College Dublin removed Berkeley's name from one of its libraries because of his slave ownership and active defence of slavery.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"Westward the course of empire takes its way; The four first acts already past, A fifth shall close the drama with the day: Time's noblest offspring is the last." — George Berkeley "Our youth we can have but to-day, We may always find time to grow old." — George Berkeley "Can Love be controlled by Advice?, reported in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, 10th ed. (1919)." — George Berkeley "And what are these same evanescent Increments? They are neither finite Quantities nor Quantities infinitely small, nor yet nothing. May we not call them the Ghosts of departed Quantities?" — George Berkeley
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