Berkeley

by J.O. Urmson and George Urmson, J.O. & Berkeley

Book Overview

Viewing Berkeley against a wider intellectual background than is customary, Urmson achieves an unusually sympathetic assessment of his philosophy. Beginning with a chapter on the philosophy of science, he then gives a clear account of Bekeley's metaphysics and hjis analysis of the concepts of science and common sense.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192875469
• ISBN13: 9780192875464
• Release Date: September 1983
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 96 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 4.4" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

An idea of Berkley's work more than of his life

Berkley has one idea for which the world knows him. He is the successor of Locke who pushes British Empiricism one more step in the direction of Hume's skepticism about our knowledge of the real world. His great denial is the denial of physical reality, the materialness of the material world. The only Reality for Berkley is Ideas that are in the Mind of God. Berkley is thus not really of the breadth in dimension of the political thinker Locke or the historian Hume. Urmson does not dwell much on Berkley's life giving us the bare details and even less than that. For instance he tells us that Berkley has a wife and a son but really does not indicate anything about his personal character relation to his family etc.If the Past Masters series is to tell of the life as well as the work then this particular volume falls short. We do learn certain details about Berkley including the story of his failed American venture. Urmson is good at presenting a picture of the intellectual and scientific world Berkley found himself, and relating how Berkley's philosophy was a reaction to this world. He too tries to show how what seems to be a ' ridiculous idea on the surface' can be interpreted to make strong sense philosophically. This particular volume I am sure will be of great use for those who take interest in the close technical arguments around the subject of philosophical ' idealism.'