George Berkeley

George Berkeley (British English:/ˈbɑː.kli/; English Irish: /ˈbɑɹ.kli/) (Dysert, Ireland, March 12, 1685 - Cloyne, id., January 14, 1753), also known as Bishop Berkeley, was a highly influential Irish philosopher whose main achievement was the development of the philosophy known as subjective idealism or immaterialism, since it denied the reality of abstractions as material substance. He wrote a large number of works, among which we can highlight the Treatise on the principles of human knowledge (1710) and The three dialogues between Hylas and Philonus (1713) (Philonus, the "lover of mind," represents Berkeley, and Hylas, who takes his name from the ancient Greek word for matter, represents Locke's thought.) In 1734 he published The Analyst, a critique of the foundations of science, which was highly influential in the development of mathematics.

The city of Berkeley, California takes its name from this philosopher, in whose honor the university around which he grew up was named.

A residence hall at Yale University and the library at Trinity College Dublin have also taken their names.

Biography

Berkeley was born in Dysert, near Thomastown, [Ireland]. He was the eldest son of William Berkeley, a member of the Berkeley noble family. He received his education at Kilkenny College, and attended classes at Trinity College, Dublin, where he finished his studies in 1707. He remained at Trinity College until he obtained a degree as Professor of Greek. His first publication was of a mathematical nature, but the first that gained him notoriety was his Essay towards a new theory of vision, published in 1709. Although it raised a lot of controversy at the time, his conclusions are part of Optics news. In 1710 he published the Treatise on the principles of human knowledge and in 1713 the Three dialogues between Hylas and Philonus, in which he developed his philosophical system, whose fundamental principle is that « to be is to be perceived or to perceive. The Treatise is an exposition, while the dialogues constitute its defense. One of his main objectives was to combat materialism, the dominant theory of his time according to which material substance exists.

Shortly thereafter he visited England where he was received by Addison, Pope and Steele. In the period between 1714 and 1720 he alternated his academic work with trips around Europe. In 1721 he received a doctorate in theology, and decided to remain at Trinity College, Dublin, teaching Theology and Hebrew. In 1724 he was made Dean of Derry.

In 1725 he embarked on a project to found a school in Bermuda for missionaries from the colonies, leaving the deanery which brought him an income of £1,100 for a salary of £100. He landed near Newport (Rhode Island), where he bought a plantation. On October 4, 1730, Berkeley bought "a negro named Philip of about fourteen years of age." On June 11, 1731, "Dean Berkeley baptized three of his negroes Philip, Anthony, and Agnes Berkeley."

Berkeley's sermons explained to the colonists that Christianity allowed slavery, and therefore slaves had to be baptized: "it would be to their (the bosses') business advantage to have slaves who must 'obey in all to their employers from the bowels, not only when they observe them, but with all their hearts, fearing God"; that the freedom of the gospel agrees with temporal servitude, and that all his slaves will only be better slaves by being Christians."

He lived on the plantation while he waited for the funds for his school to arrive. However, these funds did not appear to be coming soon, so in 1732 he returned to London. In 1734 he was appointed Bishop of Cloyne. Soon after he published Alciphron, or the Insignificant Philosopher, against Shaftesbury, and in 1734-1737 The Querist. His last publications were Siris , a treatise on the medicinal virtues of pine resin infusion, and Further thoughts on tar-water (more thoughts about the infusion pine resin).

He remained at Cloyne until 1752, when he retired and went to live with his son in Oxford.

Contributions

He was the eldest son of William Berkeley, a member of the Berkeley nobility family. He received his education at Kilkenny College, and attended classes at Trinity College Dublin, where he finished his studies in 1707. He remained at Trinity College until he became a Greek teacher. His first publication was of a mathematical character, but the first that won him notoriety was his essay to a new theory of vision, published in 1709. Although he raised a lot of controversy at the time, his conclusions are now part of the optics. In 1710 he published the Treaty on the Principles of Human Knowledge and in 1713 the Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonus, in which he developed his philosophical system, whose fundamental principle is that “being is to be perceived or perceived”. The Treaty is an exhibition, while dialogues constitute its defence. One of its main objectives was to combat materialism, a dominant theory at the time that the material substance exists.

Shortly thereafter he visited England where he was received by Addison, Pope and Steele. In the period between 1714 and 1720 he alternated his academic work with trips around Europe. In 1721 he received a doctorate in theology, and decided to remain at Trinity College, Dublin, teaching Theology and Hebrew. In 1724 he was made Dean of Derry.

In 1725 he embarked on a project to found a school in Bermuda for missionaries from the colonies, leaving the deanery which brought him an income of £1,100 for a salary of £100. He landed near Newport (Rhode Island), where he bought a plantation. On October 4, 1730, Berkeley bought "a negro named Philip of about fourteen years of age." On June 11, 1731, "Dean Berkeley baptized three of his negroes Philip, Anthony, and Agnes Berkeley" 1

Berkeley's sermons explained to the colonists that Christianity allowed slavery, and therefore slaves had to be baptized: "it would be to their (the bosses') business advantage to have slaves who must 'obey in all to their employers from the bowels, not only when they observe them, but with all their hearts, fearing God"; that the freedom of the gospel agrees with temporal servitude, and that all his slaves will only be better slaves by being Christians."2

He lived on the plantation while he waited for the funds for his school to arrive. However, these funds did not appear to be coming soon, so in 1732 he returned to London. In 1734 he was appointed Bishop of Cloyne. Soon after he published Alciphron, or the Insignificant Philosopher, against Shaftesbury, and in 1734-1737 The Querist. His last publications were Siris, a treatise on the medicinal virtues of pine resin infusion, and Further thoughts on tar-water (more thoughts about pine resin infusion).