On Berkeley (Wadsworth Philosophers Series) [Paperback]

Bruce Umbaugh (Author)

Book Description

Series: Wadsworth Philosophers Series | Publication Date: December 23, 1999

This brief text assists students in understanding Berkeley's philosophy and thinking so that they can more fully engage in useful, intelligent class dialogue and improve their understanding of course content. Part of the "Wadsworth Philosophers Series," (which will eventually consist of approximately 100 titles, each focusing on a single "thinker" from ancient times to the present), ON BERKELEY is written by a philosopher deeply versed in the philosophy of this key thinker. Like other books in the series, this concise book offers sufficient insight into the thinking of a notable philosopher better enabling students to engage the reading and to discuss the material in class and on paper.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

Berkeley was my first philosophical love. As a high school student, I was amazed that he could make so strong a case for such shocking conclusions. I adored the idea that someone could seriously answer, "No," to the question "If a tree falls in the forest, does it make any noise?" The more I studied Berkeley and other philosophers in college and in graduate school, the more richly I appreciated what he had done in his work: it is simple, subtle, and (if properly understood) quite possibly right. The idea behind ON BERKELEY is to make the reader an expert on Berkeley overnight. You can't quite do that, of course, but this book is meant to get you close, by providing a sympathetic interpretation of Berkeley that, first, helps readers understand his philosophy and, second, defends him in light of what we know today in science and philosophy.

From the Inside Flap

The Wadsworth Philosophy Series is dedicated to providing both philosophy students and general readers with insight into the background, development, and thinking of great intellects throughout the history of civilization.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 88 pages
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing; 1 edition (December 23, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534576192
• ISBN-13: 978-0534576196
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #761,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ON BERKELEY, February 6, 2001

By 

Bob Corbett (Vienna, Austria) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On Berkeley (Wadsworth Philosophers Series) (Paperback)

This book is not only a clear exposition of Bishop Berkeley's philosophy, but makes the strong case that Berkeley's "to be is to be perceived" is not a silly or trivial position as many like to write it off as, but rather a serious account of "reality" and more economical that most theories which take physical reality as an intuitive given.

I used the book as a text in a course on Modern Philosophy, making Berkeley my "featured philosopher" and it worked well. I learned a great deal and my students did as well.

I recommend the book for such courses, or for anyone curious to see and evaluate a strong claim that Berkeley's immaterialism is a persuasive and reasonable theory.

I didn't come away from Bruce Umbaugh's very readable book convinced that my world of perception is not undergirded by a physical reality, but I did come away knowing that I'd never again approach Berkeley with some smug sense of superiority over this "crazy view." Umbaugh makes one sit up and take note of Berkeley as one who deserves his place in early modern philosophy.

Bob Corbett Department of Philosophy Webster Univesity St. Louis, MO. and Vienna, Austria

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview of Berkeley's Idealism, March 23, 2005

By 

Stephen Coulon (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: On Berkeley (Wadsworth Philosophers Series) (Paperback)

Though the book is titled On Berkeley it really only covers Berkeley's most famous philosophical assertion that esse est percipi (to be is to be perceived). Umbaugh gives a good, detailed explanation of this concept and covers many of the problems that arise from Berkeley's world view. He also highlights some of the philosophical responses to Berkeley that have arisen throughout the years. The tone of this book is refreshing in that Berkeley is approached with scorn by much of the philosophical community these days, but Umbaugh gives Berkeley a chance to make his case and avoids making any presumptive judgments. A newcomer to modern philosophy may want to study Descartes, Locke, and Newton before picking this up in that the background information in this book is thin. Also, Umbaugh fails to adequately address today's most commonly discussed implications of Berkeley's philosophy, its relations to quantum physics, AI, multi-dimensional computer modeling, and neuroscience. Nevertheless this short book serves as a great refresher on Berkeleyan Idealism.