A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge

Berkeley (sometimes pronounced “BARK-lee”) was one of the major intellectual figures of 18th-century Britain, whose work addressed such varied fields as religion, philosophy, science, medicine, and economics. He was born in County Kilkenny, Ireland in 1685 to a family of English origin. While attending Trinity College in Dublin, he fell under the influence of the empiricist school of philosophy, as represented by John Locke. By graduation, he had developed a distinctive philosophical perspective, the major tenet of which was that existence consists of perceiving and being perceived.

Berkeley was ordained a priest of the Anglican Church in 1710, the same year that he wrote the Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge. Scholars in Britain and Europe received the work with great interest, and it provoked serious philosophical debates. Berkeley’s next work was Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, which provided further defense of his theories. Berkeley, who was also the Bishop of Cloyne, served as a fellow of Trinity College for 17 years, lecturing in divinity, Greek, and Hebrew.

As his fame grew, Berkeley’s horizons widened: He mixed with London’s intellectual and political society and traveled extensively in Italy. Convinced that America rather than Europe held the key to the future (an idea he expressed in his poem “Westward the Course of Empire”), he planned to found a college in Bermuda for the education of Indigenous and Black Americans for the Christian ministry. The plan failed for lack of funds from the British government, but Berkeley and his wife, Anne, lived in the colony of Rhode Island for two years, during which time Berkeley preached and wrote extensively.

Upon returning to Ireland, Berkeley in 1734 was ordained bishop of the diocese of Cloyne and sat on the Irish House of Lords. At his home, Berkeley presided over intellectual discussions and ran a medical dispensary. Berkeley’s medical interests led him to write Siris in 1744, a treatise advocating the healing use of tar water (a mixture of water and pine tar). Berkeley died at home suddenly in 1753 at the age of 67 while his wife was reading to him from the Bible.

The novelty of many of Berkeley’s ideas meant that they won little acceptance during his lifetime. His thought received more attention in the 20th century, especially due to his questioning of the concepts of Newtonian physics and his observations about how language affects our perceptions. With hindsight, Berkeley’s skepticism about prevailing scientific and philosophical tenets anticipated future views.

The University of California at Berkeley was named in honor of George Berkeley, in view of his interest in fostering education in the Americas.