Principles of Human Knowledge
by George Berkeley · A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge
Assigned by 4 of the 9 reading lists, catalogue entry only
- Written
- 1710
- Form
- Treatise
- Language
- English
- Length
- Short · 110 ppunder 120 pages
- Difficulty
- Demanding3 of 5 for a first-year reader
We recommendPrinciples of Human Knowledge and Three DialoguesOxford University PressOxford World's Classics prints the Principles with the Dialogues, which restate the argument in conversation.
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Berkeley argues that matter does not exist. Nothing is real except minds and their ideas, and to be is either to perceive or to be perceived. The ordinary things we call bodies are collections of sensible qualities, and since those qualities exist only in perception, so do the things. An introduction attacks abstract general ideas as the source of philosophical confusion, and Locke's distinction between primary and secondary qualities is dismantled. The regularity of what we perceive is then explained by God, who keeps the world in being by perceiving it and presents our sensations in lawful order.
No reading guide yet
The catalogue entry above is complete: the dates, the form, the themes and every program that assigns Principles of Human Knowledge are verified against each program's published list.
What is missing is the part that takes real work: the summary, the key passages, and a recommended translation. The edition named below is the one most programs assign, so the buy links are useful already.
