A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge

by Berkeley, George; Dancy, Jonathan

• ISBN13: 9780198751601
• ISBN10: 0198751605
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-09-24
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

The Oxford Philosophical Texts series consists of authoritative teachingeditions of canonical texts in the History of Philosophy from the ancient worlddown to modern times. Each volume, issued in a uniform and affordable paperbackformat, provides a clear, well laid out text together with a comprehensiveintroduction by a leading specialist, giving the student detailed criticalguidance on the intellectual context of the work and the structure andphilosophical importance of the main arguments. Endnotes are supplied to expandfurther on the arguments and explain unfamiliar references and terminology, anda full bibliography and index are also included.The series aims to build up a definitive corpus of key texts in the Westernphilosophical tradition, which will form a reliable and enduring resource forstudents and teachers alike.In his Principles of Human Knowledge Berkeley makes the striking claim thatphysical things consist of nothing but ideas, and so do not exist outside themind. This establishes Berkeley as the founder of the idealist tradition inphilosophy. Berkeley argues vigorously that once we correct our understanding ofthe physical, we can find a new proof of the existence of God, refute scepticalattacks on human knowledge, and resolve many difficulties and paradoxes raisedby the advance of science.The text printed in this volume is the 1734 edition of the Principles which isgenerally agreed to represent Berkeley's mature thought. Also included are thefour important letters between George Berkeley and Samuel Johnson, written in1729-30. The text is supplemented by a comprehensive introduction which looks atthe structure and main arguments of the text, as well as discussing Berkeley'slife, influences, and general philosophy. In addition the volume includes ananalysis of the text, a glossary, detailed notes, and a full bibliography withguidance on further reading.This new edition of Berkeley's most famous work, published alongside his othermasterpiece, the Three Dialogues (also edited by Jonathan Dancy) provides thestudent with a thorough introduction to the central ideas of one of the world'sgreatest philosophers.

Table of Contents

PART 1: INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL
How to Use this Book	3	(2)
Editor's Introduction	5	(1)
Preamble	5	(1)
Berkeley's Life	6	(5)
The Target (or, What Berkeley didn't Believe)	11	(3)
Barkeley's Metaphysical Picture	14	(3)
What Happens in the Principles?	17	(3)
The Arguments of Principles §§s1-24	20	(8)
Berkeley's Attack on the Doctrine of Abstract Ideas	28	(6)
Abstract Ideas in the Principles	34	(3)
The Existence of God	37	(4)
Physical Reality	41	(4)
Scepticism	45	(5)
Berkeley and the Progress of Science	50	(4)
The Nature of Spirits	54	(4)
Barkeley's Intellectual Antecedents	58	(9)
The Berkeley-Johnson Correspondence	67	(122)
The Text Printed in this Edition	70	(2)
Bibliography and Further Reading	72	(4)
Analysis of the Principles	76	(11)
PART 2: THE TEXTS
A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge	85	(2)
The Preface	87	(2)
Introduction	89	(14)
Of the Principles of Human Knowledge Part I	103	(62)
The Berkeley-Johnson Correspondence	163	(2)
Johnson to Berkeley, 10 September 1729	165	(7)
Berkeley to Johnson, 25 November 1729	172	(4)
Johnson to Berkeley, 5 February 1730	176	(7)
Berkeley to Johnson, 24 March 1730	183	(6)
PART 3: GLOSSARY, NOTES, AND INDEX
Glossary	189	(5)
Notes to the Principles	194	(24)
Notes to the Berkeley-Johnson Correspondence	218	(11)
Index	229