A Treatise Concerning The Principles Of Human Knowledge [Paperback]

George Berkeley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 17, 2004 | ISBN-10: 1419103849 | ISBN-13: 978-1419103841

Philosophy being nothing else but the study of wisdom and truth, it may with reason be expected that those who have spent most time and pains in it should enjoy a greater calm and serenity of mind, a greater clearness and evidence of knowledge, and be less disturbed with doubts and difficulties than other men.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George Berkeley (1685-1753), also known as Bishop Berkeley, was one of the three great British empiricist philosophers. Born near Thomastown, Ireland, he was educated at Kilkenny College and attended Trinity College in Dublin, where he remained as a tutor and lecturer after the competion of his Master's degree in 1707. In 1734, he was appointed Bishop of Cloyne in Ireland. He is best known for his doctrine of immaterialism, the idea that reality has no material existence outside of the mind. Berkeley's major works include An Essay towards a New Theory of Vision, A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, and Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous. Jonathan Cowley is a British actor hailing from Eastbourne, East Sussex, but he currently calls Los Angeles home. He received AudioFile Earphones Awards for his narration of The Science of Evil by Simon Baron-Cohen and The Tower, the Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart. He has narrated many audiobooks and can also be heard on both sides of the Atlantic narrating film trailers and documentaries.

--This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Kessinger Publishing, LLC (June 17, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1419103849
• ISBN-13: 978-1419103841
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,076,312 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ideal Idealism, October 15, 2002

By 

Warren Legg "wodge" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (Oxford Philosophical Texts) (Paperback)

This is not the place for a philosophical analysis of Berkeley's original text, and its content of argument. The review concerns the specific book edited by Dancy, and its worth in respect of its further contribution to understanding the Treatise.
This book is to be strongly recommended as it provides a multitude of resources that contextualise, criticise, and clarify, the positions put forward by Berkeley in this work.

The most substantial contribution is the extensive introduction comprised of 15 punchy sections, covering Berkeley's life, his academic heritage, and analysis of his thought (both internal and external to that given in the Treatise). Dancy is fair to Berkeley in setting forth the most robust defences of his position, and marshalling critical arguments against the Berkelian stance. This is supplemented by an extremely thorough set of endnotes that are continually present in the background of the text, offering detailed guidance whenever necessary, or desired.

Additionally, the book offers a summarised concise overview of the arguments provided in the Treatise, a glossary of archaic terms(!), and a very helpful short section entitled "How to use this book" (why don't more books include this sort of thing?). There is also a manageable annotated bibliography of further reading to trail a path for academic expansion.

Overall, I found that this book provided a systematic treatment of the text and provided a solid structure of support surrounding the subject. Also included, the letters between Berkeley and Johnson, provide an unexpected bonus. This book is relatively cheap, considering its breadth and depth. In my opinion, it is an ideal text through which to study (and enjoy) Berkeley's Treatise.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars an interesting reading, March 24, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (Oxford Philosophical Texts) (Paperback)

This is a very important work of George Berkeley. On of its most interesting topics is that about the existence of matter. As, for human beings, the "existence" of something is related to its perception, there is a very close link between "things" and ideas. Both cannot have their existence completely proved. The arguments place the book among the most interesting on the top issues discussed in its time (empiricism, materialism, etc.)

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for Philosophy Scholars, December 20, 2005

By 

Book Lover - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Treatise Concerning The Principles Of Human Knowledge (Paperback)

A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (Commonly called "Treatise" when referring to Berkeley's works) is a 1710 work by the Irish Empiricist philosopher George Berkeley. This book largely seeks to refute the claims made by his contemporary John Locke about the nature of human perception. Whilst, like all the Empiricist philosophers, both Locke and Berkeley agreed that there was an outside world, and it was this world which caused the ideas one has within one's mind; Berkeley sought to prove that outside world was also composed solely of ideas. Berkeley did this by suggesting that "Ideas can only resemble Ideas" - the mental ideas that we possessed could only resemble other ideas (not physical objects) and thus the external world consisted not of physical form, but rather ideas. This world was given logic and regularity by some other force, which Berkeley did his best to conclude was a God.

Long refuted by most philosophers, Berkeley's claims are often felt to have been a form of rationalisation - Berkeley later became Bishop of Cloyne, and was a highly religious man. Treastise's suggestion that the world was made of ideas with an omnipitent force guiding was his alternative to the Lockean Empiricism popular at the time, which Berkeley felt led to skepticism. In spite of this Berkeley was a capable, respected and entertaining thinker. Some doubt exists as to whether he truly believed his conclusion that the world at large was composed of ideas; with modern thinking tending towards him indeed having thought this to be the case.