International Berkeley Society

BERKELEY BOOKSHOP

• Short introductions to Berkeley
• Primary texts by Berkeley
• Primary contextual texts
• Biographies
• Textbooks on Berkeley & related philosophers
• Monographs
• Collections of essays
• Unclassified

• Non-English books in print
• Books out of print (English & non-English)

For purely practical reasons, this online 'bookshop' is initially limited to publications that are listed by Amazon on their three sites (for the USA, the UK, and Germany). We intend to expand the list to other countries than these, and to other languages than English and German, at a later date. If you have information about online book-ordering services that may stock Berkeleian books outside these countries and languages, we would be grateful if you could let us know on the bulletin board.

Book covers are illustrated where possible. In most cases, if you click on the illustration, you will see an enlarged version of the cover. (Note that, where a book exists in more than one edition, it may have a different cover from the one illustrated.)

Browser note: If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer, you should let the entire page download before you click on anything. Otherwise, it will stop loading the illustrations before they are complete. Netscape does not have this bug.

Feedback

Your comments and contributions are welcomed. The best place to share your views or information is the International Berkeley Society's Bulletin board. (If, however, you wish to submit a private message, you can send it to the webmaster@georgeberkeley.co.uk.)

• If you know of any book that should be on this list but we have missed, we should be delighted to receive details of it.
• Or, if you spot any errors in these pages, then again we would like to know. We have endeavoured to ensure that the information given here is correct, but it is inevitable that some mistakes will creep in.
• If you have any other comments or suggestions -- either specific or general -- then do please send them to us, too.
• If you are a dealer in second-hand or antiquarian books, and you have books by or about George Berkeley and his works, then we would be very happy for you to advertise those items in the Notice Board.
• Conversely, if you are looking for a particular edition, you might like to display your requirement in the Bulletin Board.

[The bibliographic information given here, including the book covers, has been taken primarily from Amazon web sites, but other sources have been freely used. This file contains embedded notes for each book, indicating our sources of bibliographic information. To see these notes, open the editorial window here, and then roll your mouse over each book title below to see the notes for that book. The window can be closed after use.]

SHORT INTRODUCTIONS TO BERKELEY

Berman

"This is a short text combining extracts from the work of one of the world's greatest thinkers with commentary from one of Britain's most distinguished writers on philosophy."

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Berman

Routledge catalogue: "A scientist, theologian, and writer on medicine and economics, George Berkeley was in his way a most improbable philosopher. A master of English prose, he was suspicious of language; scornful of abstractions, he looked instead to immediate experience for the basis of his thought. David Berman's readable guide traces Berkeley's experimentalism -- from experiments with sight and touch to near-death experience -- finding in his writings an intriguing marriage of philosophy and psychology."

Table of contents:

• Berkeley: Experimental Philosophy
• Berkeley's Works: Editions and Abbreviations
• Notes

Strathern

"These brief and enlightening explorations of our greatest thinkers bring their ideas to life in entertaining and accessible fashion."

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Urmson

PRIMARY TEXTS BY BERKELEY

Ayers

"Berkeley responded vigorously against the dominant materialist interpretation of seventeenth century physics, proclaiming the dependence of the physical world on the spirit." This volume contains a selection of Berkeley's most important philosophical works, including:

• Essay Towards a New Theory of Vision
• Principles of Human Knowledge
• Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous
• Theory of Vision Vindicated and Explained
• De Motu (translated from the Latin to English)
• Philosophical Correspondence between Berkeley and Samuel Johnson, 1729-30
• Philosophical Commentaries (Berkeley's posthumously published notebooks).

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Woolhouse

"Whether viewed as extreme scepticism or enlightened common sense, the writings of Berkeley are a major influence on modern philosophy. Bishop Berkeley (1685--1753) was one of the great British empirical philosophers. He believed that the existence of material objects depends on their being perceived and The Principles of Human Knowledge sets out this denial of non-mental material reality. At first his views were unfavourably received by the London intelligentsia, and the entertaining Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous are a clarification of the Realist argument and a response to accusations of atheism and scepticism. In the 19th century John Stuart Mill wrote that he considered Berkeley's work to be of 'greatest philosophic genius', and it is true to say that its Immaterialism has influenced many recent philosophers."

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Robinson

OUP catalogue: "The most up-to-date critical edition available.
Readership: Students of philosophy, especially dealing in Empiricism."

Amazon catalogue: "Berkeley's idealism started a revolution in philosophy. As one of the great empiricist thinkers he not only influenced British philosophers from Hume to Russell and the logical positivists in the 20th century, he also set the scene for the continental idealism of Hegel and even the philosophy of Marx. There has never been such a radical critique of common sense and perception as that given in Berkeley's Principles of Human Knowledge (1710). His views were met with disfavour, and his response to his critics was the Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous. This edition of Berkeley's two key works has an introduction which examines and in part defends his arguments for idealism, as well as offering a detailed analytical contents list, extensive philosophical notes and an index."

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Dancy

OUP catalogue:- "This new edition of Berkeley's Principles of Human Knowledge has been designed especially for the student reader. It also includes the four letters between George Berkeley and Samuel Johnson, written in 1729-30. The text is supplemented by a comprehensive introduction, an analysis of the text, a glossary, detailed notes, and a full bibliography with guidance on further reading. Published alongside Berkeley's other masterpiece, the Three Dialogues (also edited by Jonathan Dancy) this new edition aims to give the reader a thorough introduction to the central ideas of one of the world's greatest philosophers.

This book is part of new important series that uses the standard edition of the text with small corrections to bring it in line with Berkeley's original edition. It includes new editorial material specially written for the first-year student, it explains Berkeley's work and philosophical arguments: one of the trickier subjects covered in most first-year courses is here made lucid and comprehensible. Pedagogical features unique to this edition include: a substantial, clear, readable introduction covering Berkeleys life and thought and discussing the text generally; a comprehensive Bibliography and Further Reading section designed for the student reader; an analysis of the text, outlining the main points in each paragraph of the text; a glossary covering specialist and old-fashioned words in Berkeleys text; endnotes covering the text in detail. Jonathan Dancy is an eminent philosopher and the author of various other student textbooks.

Table of contents:

• Part 1: Introductory Material
  • How to Use this Book
  • Editor's Introduction
  • 1 Preamble
  • 2 Berkeley's Life
  • 3 The Target (or, What Berkeley didn't Believe)
  • 4 Berkeley's Metaphysical Picture
  • 5 What Happens in the Principles?
  • 6 The Arguments of Principles 1-24
  • 7 Berkeley's Attack on the Doctrine of Abstract Ideas
  • 8 Abstract Ideas in the Principles
  • 9 The Existence of God
  • 10 Physical Reality
  • 11 Scepticism
  • 12 Berkeley and the Progress of Science
  • 13 The Nature of Spirits
  • 14 Berkeley's Intellectual Antecedents
  • 15 The Berkeley-Johnson Correspondence
  • The Text Printed in this Edition; Bibliography and Further Reading; Analysis of the Principles
• Part 2: The Texts
  • A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge
  • Preface
  • Introduction
  • On the Principles of Human Knowledge Part I
  • The Berkeley-Johnson Correspondence
  • Johnson to Berkeley, 10 September 1729
  • Berkeley to Johnson, 25 November 1729
  • Johnson to Berkeley , 5 February 1730
  • Berkeley to Johnson , 24 March 1730
• Part 3: Glossary, Notes, and Index
  • Glossary
  • Notes to the Principles
  • Notes to the Berkeley-Johnson Correspondence
  • Index

Amazon catalogue: "In his Principles of Human Knowledge Berkeley makes the striking claim that physical things consist of nothing but ideas, and so do not exist outside the mind. This establishes Berkeley as the founder of the idealist tradition in philosophy. Berkeley argues vigorously that once we correct our understanding of the physical, we can find a new proof of the existence of God, refute sceptical attacks on human knowledge, and resolve many difficulties and paradoxes raised by the advance of science. The text printed in this volume is the 1734 edition of the Principles which is generally agreed to represent Berkeley's mature thought. Also included are the four important letters between George Berkeley and Samuel Johnson, written in 1729-30. The text is supplemented by a comprehensive introduction which looks at the structure and main arguments of the text, as well as discussing Berkeley's life, influences, and general philosophy. This new edition of Berkeley's most famous work, published alongside his other text, the Three Dialogues provides the student with a thorough introduction to his central ideas."

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Dancy

OUP catalogue: "This new edition of Berkeley's Three Dialogues, specially designed to be accessible to the student reader, provides a comprehensive philosophical introduction, and analysis of the text, a glossary, detailed endnotes, and a full bibliography with guidance on further reading. Published alongside Berkeley's other masterpiece, the Principles of Human Knowledge (also edited by Jonathan Dancy), this new edition aims to give the reader a thorough introduction to the central ideas of one of the world's greatest philosophers. [Further remarks are as in the second paragraph for the Principles above.]

Table of contents:

• Part 1: Introductory Material
  • How to Use this Book
  • Editor's Introduction
  • 1 Why read the Dialogues?
  • 2 Berkeley's Life
  • 3 Synopsis of the Dialogues
  • 4 Berkeley's Metaphysical System
  • 5 The Main Arguments
  • 6 Berkeley's Philosophical Purposes
  • 7 Berkeley's Intellectual Antecedents
  • 8 Special Topics: Pyrrhonism; Substance; Science
  • 9 The Relation between the Dialogues and the Principles
  • The Text Printed in this Edition; Bibliography and Further Reading; Analysis of the Dialogues
• Part 2: The Text
  • Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous
  • Preface
  • Dialogue I
  • Dialogue II
  • Dialogue III
  • Part 3: Glossary, Notes, and Index
  • Glossary
  • Notes to the Dialogues
  • Index

Amazon catalogue: "This text, written as Three Dialogues, was designed as an accessible presentation of the remarkable picture of reality that Berkeley had first presented in his Principles of Human Knowledge. His striking claim there, as here, was that physical things consist of nothing but ideas in minds - that the world is not material but mental. Berkeley uses this thesis as the ground for a new argument for the existence of God, and the dialogue form enables him to raise and respond to many of the natural objections to his position. The text printed in this volume is that of the 1734 edition of the Dialogues, generally agreed to represent Berkeley's mature thought. It is supplemented by a comprehensive introduction which looks in detail at the structure and main arguments of the work and the relationship between the Dialogues and the Principles, and also discusses Berkeley's life, influences, and general philosophy. In addition the volume includes an analysis of the text, a glossary, detailed endnotes, and a full bibliography with guidance on further reading."

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Luce & Jessop

Fraser

"The Works of George Berkeley is marked by its diversity and range. His writings take in such topics as mathematics, psychology, politics, health, economics, deism and ecucation, as well as that with which he is most associated - philosophy. Among the most notable of the British Empiricists, he took his starting point from Locke's 'new way of ideas', but he rejected abstract ideas and the possibility of real existence outside perception. A.C. Fraser's collection includes a series of what were previously unpublished notes by Berkeley on all the main topics of his philosophy. This, the 1901 edition, was the first complete edition of his works.

A complete edition of the works of George Berkeley, whose thought is marked by its diversity and range. His writings take in such topics as mathematics, psychology, politics, health, economics, deism and education as well as that with which he is most associated - philosophy. Whatever topic he dealth with, his grasp of the subject matter was always impressive and his criticisms of his contemporaries often acute."

Table of contents:

• Volume I.
  • Life of Berkeley. By the Editor [A.C. Fraser].
  • Commonplace Book. Written in 1705-8.
    First published in 1871.
    • The Editor's Preface.
    • The Book.
  • An Essay Towards a New Theory of Vision.
    First published in 1709.
    • The Editor's Preface.
    • Dedication to Sir Sohn Percivale
    • Contents
    • The Essay
    • Appendix to the Essay on Vision
  • A Treatise Concerning the Principals of Human Knowledge (Part I).
    Wherein the chief causes of Error and Difficulty in the Sciences, withthe grounds of Scepticism, Atheism, and Irreligion, are inquired into
    • The Editor's Preface.
    • Dedication to the Earl of Pembroke
    • The Author's Preface.
    • The Author's Introduction.
    • The Treatise
  • Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous
    The Design of which is plainly to demonstrate the reality and perfection of Human Knowledge, the Incorporeal nature of the Soul, and the Immediate Providence of a Deity, in opposition to Sceptics and Atheists. Also to open a method for rendering the Sciences more easy, useful, and compendious.
    First published in 1713.
    • The Editor's Preface.
    • Dedication to Lord Berkeley of Stratton
    • The Author's Preface.
    • The Dialogues
  • De Motu: sive de Motus principio et natura, et de Causa communicationis Motuum [in Latin only].
    First published in 1721
    • The Editor's Preface.
    • The Dissertation
• Volume II.
  • Alciphron; or, the Minute Philosopher.
    In Seven Dialogues. Containing an Apology for the Christian Religion, against those who are calld Free-thinkers.
    First published in 1732.
    • The Editor's Preface
    • The Author's Advertisement
    • Contents
    • The Dialogues
  • The Theory of Vsion, or Visual Language, Shewing the Immediate Presence and Providence of a Deity.
    First published in 1733.
    • The Editor's Preface
    • The Tract
• Volume III
  • The Analyst; or a Discourse Addressed to an Infidel Mathemetician.
    First published in 1734.
  • A Defence of Free-Thinking in Mathematics.
    First published in 1735.
  • Reasons for not Replying to Mr. Walton's Full Answer, in a Letter to P.T.P.
    First published in 1735.
  • Siris: A Chain of Philosophical Reflexions and Inquiries Concerning the Virtues of Tar-Water, and Divers Other Subjects Connected Together and Rising One From Another.
    First published in 1744.
  • Three Letters to Thomas Prior, Esq., and a Letter to the Rev. Dr. Hales, on the Virtues of Tar-Water.
    First published in 1744-47.
  • Farther Thoughts on Tar-Water.
    First published in 1752.
• Volume IV
  • Arithmetica Absque Algebra Aut Euclide Demonstrata. Auctore ... Art. Bac. Trin. Col. Dub [in Latin only]
    Written in 1705. First published in 1707.
  • Miscellanea Mathematica [in Latin only]
    Written in 1705. First published in 1707.
  • Description of the Cave of Dunmore
    Written in 1706. First published in 1871.
  • The Revelation of Life and Immortality
    First published in 1871.
  • Passive Obedience: or The Christian Doctrine of not resisting the Supreme Power ...
    First published in 1712.
  • Essays in the Guardian
    First published in 1713.
  • Two Sermons Preached at Leghorn in 1714
    First published in 1871.
  • Journal in Italy in 1717, 1718
    First published in 1871.
  • An Essay Towards Preventing the Ruin of Great Britain
    First published in 1721.
  • A Proposal
    First published in 1725.
  • Verses on the Prospect of Planting Arts and Learning in America.
  • Notes of Sermons Preached at Newport in Rhode Island and in the Narragansett country in 1729-31
    First published in 1871.
  • A Sermon Preached before the Incorporating Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts ...
    First published in 1732.
  • The Querist, containing several queries, proposed to the consideration of the public
    First published in Three Parts in 1735, 1736, 1737, and reduced to its present form in 1750.
  • A Discourse Addressed to Magistrates and Men in Authority.
    First published in 1736.
  • Primary Visitation Charge Delivered to the Clergy of the Diocese of Cloyne
    First published in 1871.
  • Address on Confirmation
    First published in 1871.
  • A Letter to Sir John James, Bart., on the Differences Between the Roman and Anglican Churches
    Written in 1741. First published in 1850.
  • Two Letters on the Occasion of the Rebellion in 1745. First published in 1745.
  • A Word to the Wise: or, an Exhortation to the Roman Catholic Clergy of Ireland. First published in 1749.
  • Maxims Concerning Patriotism. First published in 1750.
  • Appendix: The First Edition of the Querist.

Jessop

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Pitcher

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Warnock

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Winkler

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McCormack

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Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous
(Great Books in Philosophy)
110 pages. Prometheus Books (September 1988 UK & USA). Paperback: ISBN 0879754990. Publisher's web page: http://www.prometheusbooks.com.

Prometheus catalogue: "Throughout history, but most especially during the eighteenth-century Enlightenment, great minds of philosophy grappled with two thorny questions: What are the objects of knowledge? and How do we come to know them? Using the revealing dialogue technique, Berkeley shakes the very ground of those who believe that something called matter exists to support the sensible qualities we perceive. In his critique of this view, Berkeley argues for ideas in the mind as the only true reality about which one can have knowledge. His arguments for these conclusions, and for the ultimate foundation of all sensible things, can be found in this essential work of early modern philosophy."

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Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous
edited by Robert M. Adams
137 pages. Hackett Publishing Co, Inc (December 1988 pb UK, June 1979 hb USA). Paperback: ISBN 0915144611. Hardback: ISBN 091514462X (USA). Publisher's web site: www.hackettpublishing.com.

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The Empiricists
(John Locke: An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, abridged. George Berkeley: Principles of Human Knowledge, & Three Dialogues. David Hume: An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, & Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion.)
edited by Professor Richard Taylor (Brown University)
Anchor Books, an imprint of Doubleday (1960). Paperback: ISBN 0385096224. Publisher's web site: www.randomhouse.com/anchor/.

Anchor catalogue: "This volume includes the major works of the British Empiricists, philosophers who sought to derive all knowledge from experience. All essays are complete except that of Locke, which Professor Richard Taylor of Brown University has skillfully abridged."

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Belfrage

"In an attempt to provide a deeper understanding of the early development of Berkeley, this is a reprinting of the manuscript introduction to Principles of Human Knowledge. The manuscript introduction is shown to express a philosophy different from the doctrine he published."

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Jesseph

Kluwer catalogue: "This volume contains Berkeley's two most important writings on science and mathematics: the Latin treatise De Motu and The Analyst, his famous critique of the calculus of Newton and Leibniz. In addition to a new translation of De Motu, it provides extensive introductions and notes which give the relevant background and commentary to make these texts accessible to the modern reader. Designed to replace the inadequate editions in Berkeley's Works, the present volume provides complete and critically established texts, with bibliographies and an index. It will be of particular interest to Berkeley scholars, historians of mathematics, and anyone with an interest in the science and philosophy of the early modern period.

Table of contents:

• Preface
• Abbreviations
• De Motu
  • Editor's Introduction
  • 1. Motion and the Mechanical Philosophy
  • 2. Disputed Points in the Mechanical Philosophy
  • 3. The Place of De Motu in Berkeley's Philosophy
  • 4. A Note on the Text and Translation
  • 5. Bibliography
  • Text
  • Translation
• The Analyst.
  Editor's Introduction
  • 1. The Mathematical Background
  • 2. The Theological Background
  • 3. Berkeley's Case Against the Calculus
  • 4. Outline Analysis.
  • 5. Responses to The Analyst
  • 6. A Note on the Text
  • 7. Bibliography
  • Text.
  • Indexes.

See also: Jesseph's monograph below.

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Berman

"The only available separate edition of Berkeley's text, this volume contains the four most important dialogues of George Berkeley's Alciphron, or the Minute Philosopher (1732) together with essays and commentaries from the 18th to the 20th centuries by such writers as Francis Hutcheson, J.S. Mill and Anthony Flew. Alciphron is Berkeley's most sustained work of philosophical theology. It also contains his final views of meaning and language, some of which (as Anthony Flew argues in his essay) anticipate those of Wittgenstein. In his introduction David Berman shows that Alciphron has a closer connection with Berkeley's immaterialist philosophy than is generally thought. This book aims to be of considerable interest to philosophy students, particularly those concerned with philosophy of religion and language. It will also be of interest to students in religious studies and intellectual history, since in Alciphron Berkeley develops one of the last great philosophical defences of religion as well as providing a shrewd account of the rise and nature of deism and atheism. This is the only available edition of Alciphron. It is also the only edition that, by including critical essays, assists the student to evaluate Alciphron's theoretical and historical importance."

Table of contents:

• Part 1: Alciphron: Dialogues I, III, IV, VII.
• Part 2: Extracts from contemporaries:
  • Peter Brown, Divine Analogy.
  • Francis Hutcheson, Inquiry into Beauty and Virtue.
  • Lord Bolingbroke, Philosophical Works.
• Part 3: Extracts from 19th-century critics:
  • J.S. Mill, Berkley's Life and Writings.
  • Lesley Stephen, English Thought in the 18th Century.
• Part 3: 20th-century articles:
  • J.O. Urmson, Berkeley on Beauty.
  • A. David Kline, Berkley's Divine Language Argument.
  • David Berman, Cognitive Theology and Emotive Mystery in Berkley's Alciphron.
  • Antony Flew, Berkley as Precursor of Wittgenstein.

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Turbayne

Greenwood catalogue: "George Berkeley's three accounts of vision: the Essay, the account in the fourth dialogue of Alciphron, and Visual Language are presented with a commentary by Colin Murray Turbayne."

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PRIMARY CONTEXTUAL TEXTS

McCracken & Tipton

"Cambridge Philosophical Texts in Context offers a new way of understanding and teaching the canonical texts in the history of philosophy. This volume sets Berkeley's philosophy in its historical context by providing selections from: firstly, works that deeply influenced Berkeley as he formed his main doctrines; secondly, works that illuminate the philosophical climate in which those doctrines were formed; and thirdly, works that display Berkeley's subsequent philosophical influence. The first category is represented by selections from Descartes, Malebranche, Bayle, and Locke; the second category includes extracts from such thinkers as Regius, Lanion, Arnauld, Lee, and Norris; while reactions to Berkeley, both positive and negative, are drawn from a wide range of thinkers - Leibniz, Baxter, Hume, Diderot, Voltaire, Reid, Kant, Herder, and Mill."

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Readings in Epistemology: From Aquinas, Bacon, Galileo, Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant
edited by Vincent G. Potter, with S. J. Colapietro & Vincent Colapietro (contributor)
235 pages. Fordham University Press (February 1993). Hardback: ISBN 0823214931.

"A companion volume to On Understanding Understanding, this second edition incorporates corrections to the previous text and includes new readings. The works collected in this volume are mainly from the British Empiricists. The breadth of the selection is not so diverse that the pieces cannot be readily understood by a newcomer to Epistemology, they have a logical progression of development (from Locke to Berkeley to Hume), and all of the philosophers whose work is represented have had considerable influence on contemporary Anglo-American philosophy. In the introduction, Potter sets the selections in their historical context and urges the reader to form their own viewpoint in terms of the period's contribution to the advancement of culture, politics, and society. He gives a concise summary of the Enlightenment period, demonstrating how and why Rationalism and Empiricism came about, and challenges the reader not to simply note the points of disparity between the two schools, but to notice the similarities of their common assumptions - both substantive and methodological. Readings in Epistemology aims to be a useful classroom tool. A biographical note on the philosopher, and list of suggested books for further study, heads each of the readings. Study questions, designed to stimulate discussion, are at the end of each piece."

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BIOGRAPHIES OF BERKELEY

Luce

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Berman

OUP UK catalogue: "Bishop George Berkeley is one of the best-known names in eighteenth-century British philosophy. He undoubtedly saw himself as a primarily religious thinker - yet so far books have tended to concentrate on his ideas about only a limited range of secular philosophical topics. This book is unique in providing a comprehensive picture of both the life and total thought of Berkeley - integrating his philosophy with the important and interesting other `religious' side to him. The book breaks new ground in both fields and illuminates Berkeley as a much deeper and more human thinker than the starry-eyed idealist he is often portrayed.
Readership: Scholars and university students of British philosophy; theologians."

OUP USA catalogue: "Unlike nearly all studies of Berkeley, this book looks at the full range of his work and links it with his life -- focusing in particular on his religious thought. While aiming to present a clear picture of his career, Berman breaks new ground on, among other topics, Berkeley's philosophical strategy, his account of immortality, his Jacobitism, his emotive theory of religious mysteries, and the motivation of his Siris (1744). Also distinctive is the attention paid to the Irish context of his thought, his symbolic frontispieces and portraits, and recent discoveries concerning his life and writings.
'An excellent account of Berkeley's life and work....It is a relief to have such a well written book as this one by Berman. The English is lucid, deceptively simple and rather elegant. It is an informative and intelligent discussion of the views of an important philosopher....It has the added attraction of being a pleasure to read," Irish Theological Quarterly."

Amazon catalogue: "Providing a comprehensive picture of both the life and total thought of George Berkeley, this book integrates his philosophy with the important other 'religious' side to him. Some of the topics covered include Berkeley's philosophical strategy, his account of immortality, his Jacobitism, his emotive theory of religious mysteries and the motivation of his Siris (1744). Also distinctive is the attention paid to the Irish context of his thought, his symbolic frontispieces and portraits, and recent discoveries concerning his life and writings. It illuminates Berkeley as a much deeper and more human thinker than the usual picture of him as a starry-eyed idealist with every virtue under heaven."

Table of contents:

• Early life and intellectual background 1685-1713.
• Philosophy in the Heroic Period 1709-1713.
• Theology in the Heroic Period.
• The middle years 1713-1721.
• The Bermuda project 1722-1731.
• Philosophical theology 1732-1734.
• The good bishop 1735-1753.
• Epilogue - Ecce Homo.

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Houghton, Berman, Lapan

Exhibition held at The National Gallery of Ireland, 8th April - 11th May 1986.

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Gaustad

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The World of George Berkeley
by Raymond Houghton
25 pages. Eason & Son (1985). Paperback: ISBN 090034671X.

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TEXTBOOKS ON BERKELEY & RELATED PHILOSOPHERS

Bennett

Book cover, 1971: "This book discusses three topics, in the company of three philosophers:meaning, causality, objectivity; Locke, Berkeley, Hume. The choice of these 'central themes' is in part explained by their prominence in the writing of all three philosophers, but it reflects also the author's intention to concentrate on those general areas in which the views of Locke, Berkeley, and Hume are still of central philosophical importance. This involves a critical appraisal of many of their most widely discussed doctrines -- meanings as ideas; substance and reality; the distinction between primary and secondary qualities; Berkeley's idealism; Hume's theory of causation. However, Professor Bennett is concerned primarily with the problems themselves, and he seeks to bring new understanding to the work of the three philosophers, as he says, not by presenting an amply rounded picture of their thought, but by making it easier to grasp the logic of some of their most significant writings.

Jonathan Bennett is at present Professor of Philosophy at the University of Syracuse, new York. He was born in New Zealand and educatred there until 1953 when he read for the B.Phil in Oxford. After holding a post as Lecturer in Moral Science at Cambridge for twelve years he went to live in Canada in 1968. He is well known as the author of Rationality and Kant's Analytic.

The cover engravings show, from left to right: John Locke 1632-1704, George Berkeley 1685-1753, David Hume 1711-1776.

'Professor Bennett is a thoroughly convincing and reliable exponent of his case; although Locke, Berkeley, Hume ... will teach most to those who know most already, it is an excellent advertisement for a serious discipline and for its author's way of following that discipline.' Times Literary Supplement."

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Locke, Berkeley, Hume
author unknown
Oxford Univ Press (June 1971, USA). Paperback: ISBN 0198243529.

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Dunn, Urmson, & Ayer

"This is a collection of three concise, accessible introductions to the lives and works of Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. John Dunn demonstrates how Locke arrived at the theory of knowledge which he puts forward in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding; J.O. Urmson assesses Berkeley's philosophy in its relation to the thought of Newton and his predecessors; and A.J. Ayer treats Hume's theories of perception and self-identity, his analysis of causation, and his thought on morals, politics, and religion.

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Locke, Berkeley, Hume
by Charles Richard Morris
174 pages. (a) First published 1931. (b) Reissued by Greenwood Press, London, & Greenwood Publishing Group (December 1979). Hardback: ISBN 0313220913. Publisher's web site: www.greenwood.com.

Greenwood catalogue: "'Mr. Morris has produced a valuable critique of what is . . . the most resplendent period in the history of British philosophy. He approaches his task with a truly `philosophic' detachment. . . . Another merit that deserves to be mentioned . . . is the general purity of his style.' Times Literary Supplement, London."

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Richetti

Amazon customer review: "This work successfully uses the tools of literary criticism to cast light on philosophical theories. An exemplary and illuminating reading: all philosophy students should read at least a chapter."

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MONOGRAPHS

Tipton

From the cover of the reprint: 'Tipton's learning will recommend his book to the scholar, and his clarity will recommend it to the teacher and the student, something which cannot but be welcome at a time when Berkeley's philosophy is a component of, and indeed of the early stages of, so many university courses.' -- E.J. Craig in Mind.

Interest in Berkeley has, if anything, grown in the two decades since Tipton's book was first published, making this a welcome re-issue of one of the best critical examinations of Berkeley's immaterialism."

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Atherton

"Berkeley's Essay towards a New Theory of Vision (1709), his first substantial publication, revolutionized the theory of vision. His approach provided the framework for subsequent work in the psychology of vision and remains influential to this day. Among philosophers, however, the New Theory has not always been read as a landmark in the history of scientific thought, but instead as a halfway house to Berkeley's later metaphysics. In this book, Margaret Atherton seeks to redress the balance through a commentary on and a reinterpretation of Berkeley's New Theory. "

See also Atherton's collection of essays below

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Pappas

"In this [highly original] account of Bishop George Berkeley's epistemological and metaphysical theories, George S. Pappas seeks to determine precisely what doctrines the philosopher held and what arguments he put forward to support them. Specifically, Pappas overturns accepted opinions about Berkeley's famous attack on the Lockean doctrine of abstract ideas. Berkeley's criticism of these ideas had been thought relevant only to his views on language and to his nominalism: Pappas [persuasively] argues that Berkeley's ideas about abstraction are crucial to nearly all of the fundamental principles that he defends. Pappas demonstrates how an adequate appreciation of Berkeley's views on abstraction can lead to an improved understanding of his important principle of esse is percipi, and of the argument[s] Berkeley proposes in support of this principle. Pappas also takes up Berkeley's widely rejected claim to be a philosopher of common sense. He assesses the validity of this self-description and considers why Berkeley might have chosen to align himself with a commonsense position. Pappas shows how three core concepts - abstraction, perception and common sense - are central to and interdependent in the work of one of the major figures of early modern Western thought."
[Amazon US blurb is the same as UK blurb, except for spelling correcions and the insertion of phrases in square brackets.]

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Muehlmann

Hackett catalogue: "Awarded the 1991 Johnsonian Prize in Philosophy.
This original new work takes a sharply focused look at Berkeley’s ontology and provides a fuller understanding of the relationship between, on the one hand, Berkeley’s nominalism and antiabstractionism and, on the other, his principal arguments for idealism and his attempts to square his idealism with common sense. Drawing heavily on detailed textual analysis, historical context, and careful examination of the work of other scholars, Muehlmann challenges, modifies, rejects, and exploits some well-established interpretations of Berkeley’s philosophy.
'Shows a thorough mastery of the literature on Berkeley, along with very perceptive remarks about the strengths and weaknesses of most of the central commentators. . . . Exhibits a mastery of all the material, both primary and secondary, a thesis that is both philosophically interesting in its own right and illuminating about a great many details of Berkeley’s thought; a readable and effective presentation.' - Charles Larmore for the Editorial Board, The Journal of Philosophy"

Amazon catalogue: "Exhibits a mastery of all the material, both primary and secondary, a thesis that is philosophically interesting and illuminating about a great many details of Berkeley's thought."

See also Muehlamnn's collection of essays below

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Jesseph

"In this first modern, critical assessment of the place of mathematics in Berkeley's philosophy and Berkeley's place in the history of mathematics, Douglas M. Jesseph provides a bold reinterpretation of Berkeley's work. Jesseph challenges the prevailing view that Berkeley's mathematical writings are peripheral to his philosophy and argues that mathematics is in fact central to his thought, developing out of his critique of abstraction. Jesseph's argument situates Berkeley's ideas within the larger historical and intellectual context of the Scientific Revolution. Jesseph begins with Berkeley's radical opposition to the received view of mathematics in the philosophy of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, when mathematics was considered a 'science of abstractions.' Since this view seriously conflicted with Berkeley's critique of abstract ideas, Jesseph contends that he was forced to come up with a nonabstract philosophy of mathematics. Jesseph examines Berkeley's unique treatments of geometry and arithmetic and his famous critique of the calculus in The Analyst. By putting Berkeley's mathematical writings in the perspective of his larger philosophical project and examining their impact on eighteenth-century British mathematics, Jesseph makes a major contribution to philosophy and to the history and philosophy of science."
Amazon US review: "From Book News, Inc. (1 December 1993): Studies the place of mathematics in Berkeley's philosophy -- a dimension of Berkeley's work neglected by philosophers; and explores his place in the history of mathematics -- a field where he is generally relegated to a footnote. Jesseph shows what can learned by paying attention to Berkeley's mathematical writings and their context. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, OR".

See also: Jesseph's De Motu above.

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Winkler

OUP catalogue: "George Berkeley (1685-1753) is famous for his bold metaphysical doctrine that matter does not exist, and that the sensations we take to be caused by an independent external world are instead caused directly by God. Kenneth P. Winkler offers an interpretation and assessment of the arguments Berkeley gives in defence of this central doctrine, and places it in the context of Berkeley's thought as a whole.
'[Winkler's] book is one which all students of Berkeley should read.' Philosophical Books
'clear in style and argumentation. It challenges many of the standard interpretations ... [Winkler's] thorough knowledge and careful examinations of the texts challenges any critic to provide a more coherent account.' Review of Metaphysics"
Readership: Second- and third-year undergraduates, graduates, and professional philosophers working on eighteenth-century philosophy. [OUP has two entries for this book. The second entry defines the readership thus: Philosophers, historians of philosophy, historians and philosophers of science.]

Amazon catalogue: "David Hume wrote that Berkeley's arguments admit of no answer but produce no conviction. Berkeley held that matter does not exist, and that the sensations we take to be caused by an indifferent and independent world are instead caused directly by God. Nature becomes a text, with no existence apart from the spirits who transmit and receive it. Kenneth P. Winkler presents these conclusions as natural (though by no means inevitable) consequences of Berkeley's reflections on such topics as representation, abstraction, necessary truth, and cause and effect. In the closing chapters, he offers new interpretations of Berkeley's view on unperceived objects, corpuscularian science, and our knowledge of God and other minds."

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Hicks

"A study by Dr Dawes Hicks, which is a critical examination of the writings of George Berkeley."

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Grayling

From the book cover: "The theories of Bishop Berkeley (1685-1753), denying the existence of matter in favour the fundamental reality of mind, have been generally rejected by modern philosophers. This book, written in the tercentenary of his birth, argues that some of his main claims are more defensible than has generally been allowed. Focusing on Berkeley's central arguments, it combines a due regard for their historical context with a concern for their modern relevance. It shows that an understanding of Berkeley's related conceptions of experience, existence, reality and mind depends on a proper grasp of his method and assumptions. The revaluation is based in part on an analysis of Berkeley's 'conceivability' argument and the distinctions he insisted upon between the metaphysical, phenomenal, and phenomenological levels of explanation.
A.C. Grayling took his doctorate at Oxford, and has taught both there and in the University of London. He is the author of An Introduction to Philosophical Logic and The Refutation of Scepticism."

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Pitcher

From the book cover: "Professor Pitcher presents in this study a thorough-going exploration of Berkeley's metaphysical views. He shows their development from Berkeley's reflections about sense perception and from his conscious opposition to his great predecessor, Locke. The author analyses at length the extremely influential New Theory of Vision; he then considers Berkeley's view that reality consists of nothing but finite minds, the infinite mind of God, and their ideas and acts of volitions. Various features of this extraordinary scheme are examined, including the question of how far it can be reconciled with our fundamental commonsensical beliefs about the world. Berkeley's conception of the mind receives an extended treatment and the book ends with a chapter on his doctrine of 'passive obedience'."

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Warnock

"Berkeley is one of the most influential and yet most misunderstood of 18th century philosophers. In this new, revised edition of his classic introduction, G.J. Warnock examines all Berkeley's major philosophical works and discusses his most original and interesting contributions to questions still debated by philosophers today. The aim of the book is to help the reader learn not so much about Berkeley, but rather through Berkeley, something about philosophy itself."

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Johnston

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Joseph

"A significant inquiry into some of the similarities between two philosophies generally regarded to be quite different."

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Broad

"A complete reissue of a notable lecture delivered by Broad as the Annual Philosophical Lecture before the Henriette Hertz Trust."

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Stack

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Moked

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Kingston

"This is a phenomenological study of Berkeley's metaphysics, which insisted on the importance of the human spirit. It takes account, not only of Berkeley's treatment of his contemporaries and English critics, but also of his influence on contemporary French philosophers."

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Trapnell

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Lloyd

"Modern science has no explanation for consciousness. In this book, the author claims that this is because the conscious mind is simply not physical. To understand consciousness, we must therefore go beyond physical science and into metaphysics. Rigorous philosophical arguments are given by the author to show that the metaphysical theory called 'mental monism' provides the only correct understanding of consciousness. Mental monism turns conventional wisdom on its head. According to this theory, consciousness itself is the primary reality, and the physical world is a derived construct - a convenient fiction that helps us to deal with our experiences of the world. Although this theory may seem paradoxical at first, compelling arguments are given by the author to establish that this is the correct view." (See also: author's home page.)

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Lloyd

"People often regard paranormal phenomena as anomalous or freaky. Even those who believe the phenomena to be real often think of them as lying outside the realm of systematic knowledge and theoretical understanding. This book argues that there is a philosophical approach that can lead to a cogent understanding of the paranormal realm. The theory of eighteenth-century philosopher George Berkeley provides the radically different framework of ideas that is needed to accommodate the strange workings of the paranormal processes."

(See also: author's home page.)

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COLLECTIONS OF ESSAYS

Atherton

"A collection of essays on the work of John Locke, George Berkeley and David Hume, designed to provide a deeper understanding of major issues raised in the empiricist tradition. It includes The Rationalist Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibnitz, edited by Derk Pereboom."

See also Atherton's Berkeley's Revolution in Vision above.

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Muehlmann

"A collection of essays, including the first four winners of the Turbayne International Berkeley Essay Prize, that explore the philosophy of George Berkeley."
Includes:
Phillip D. Cummins, Berkeley's Manifest Qualities Thesis (107-125).

See also Muehlamnn's Berkeley's Ontology above.

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Walmsley

"The works of George Berkeley (1685-1753) have been the object of much philosophical analysis; but philosophers are writers as well as thinkers, and Berkeley was himself positively interested in the functions of language and style. He recognized that words are used not just to convey ideas, but to stir the emotions and influence the behaviour of the hearer or reader. The Rhetoric of Berkeley's Philosophy, the first book-length assessment of Berkeley as a writer, offers rhetorical and literary analyses of his four major philosophical texts, A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, Alciphron and Siris. The Berkeley that emerges from this study is an accomplished stylist, one who builds structures of affective imagery, who creates dramatic voices in his texts, and who masters the range of philosophical genres - the treatise, the dialogue, and the essay. Above all, Berkeley's awareness of the rhetorical functions of language is everywhere evident in his own style. His texts persuade as well as prove, enacting a process of inquiry so that the reader may, in the end grasp Berkeley's truths as his own. The book is aimed at scholars and advanced students of English literature, philosophy, and the history of ideas."

Table of contents:

• Part 1: The Principles of Human Knowledge
  • Ideas and the end of language
  • Locke, roles and passion
  • The ends of morality and religion
  • Metaphor and the evidence of things not seen
• Part 2: Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous
  • The opportunities of dialogue
  • The character of the Elenchus
  • Comic characters
  • Comic form
• Part 3: Alciphron
  • Argument into Satyr
  • Conversations with ingenious men
• Part 4: Siris
  • The rude essay
  • The method of inductive analogy
  • The hoary maxims of the ancients.

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Blaug

Elgar catalogue: "Pierre le Pesant Boisguilbert was considered by Marx as one of the founders of classical political economy. His writings contain a large number of concepts and ideas that reappear in the writings of Quesnay, Cantillon and Adam Smith. George Berkeley - a major figure in the history of philosophical idealism - was the author of ‘The Querist’, a treatise on the nature of Irish under-development and cures for Irish poverty. Baron de Montesquieu - one of the great 18th century polymaths - is author of the masterpiece ‘The Spirit of the Laws’ (1748) which, while ostensibly a treatise on law, is actually a study of political organization, types of government, national character and the determining ethos of different societies. It enjoyed enormous success in the 18th century and was almost certainly read and studied by Adam Smith.
9 articles dating from 1953-1988. Contributors include: M. Blaug, F. Cesarano, N.E. Devletoglou, T.W. Hutchison, R. Prendergast, S. Rashid, J.J. Spengler, I.D.S. Ward."

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Crombie

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Creery

Routledge catalogue: "During the past thirty years Berkeley scholars and commentators have produced articles and books on almost every aspect and feature of Berkeley's work. There is, however, hardly any central aspect of Berkeley's theories about which commentators might be said to be in agreement: but it is not difficult to identify several kinds of dialectical development. Since the debate shows no signs of abating, it should be useful to the students of Berkeley to have a collection of the more significant articles in a convenient form, particularly since many of the recent articles are scattered over some 50 or 60 journals. This text is one of three volumes which gather together 86 articles on the central issues of the philosophy of language, the theory of vision, qualities, general ideas, matter, the theory of mind and notions. The collection contains articles both harshly critical of Berkeley as well as those sympathetic to the philosopher's views, and there has been an attempt to balance the selection between the immaterialist and idealist theories."

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Foster & Robinson

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Sosa

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Clark

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UNCLASSIFIED

Berkeley
author unknown
Blackwell Pub (August 1987). Paperback: ISBN 0631145257.

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Smith & Greene

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