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George Berkeley

George Berkeley Quotes

Philosopher

George Berkeley, born on March 12, 1685, and died on January 12, 1753, was a renowned philosopher of the 18th century. He is best known for his idealist philosophy, advocating the view that existence is dependent on perception. His major works include 'Principles of Human Knowledge' and 'A New Theory of Vision'.

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All Men Mind Ifs Thinking May Ideas Should Reason World Existence Humans Firsts Knows Mean My Own Body Liberty Principles Soul Way

Famous George Berkeley Quotes

“That food nourishes, sleep refreshes, and fire warms us; that to sow in the seed-time is the way to reap in the harvest, and, in general, that to obtain such or such ends, such or such means are conducive, all this we know, not by discovering any necessary connexion between our ideas, but only by the observation of the settled laws of nature, without which we should be all in uncertainty and confusion, and a grown man no more know how to manage himself in the affairs of life than an infant just born.”

Source: Principles of Human Knowledge

“Nothing can be plainer, than that the motions, changes, decays, and dissolutions, which we hourly see befall natural bodies (and which is what we mean by the course of nature), cannot possibly affect an active, simple, uncompounded substance: such a being therefore is indissoluble by the force of nature, that is to say, the soul of man is naturally immortal.”

Men Mean Soul Body Courses Force Nature Natural Simple Active Substance Immortality Immortal Decay Being There Dissolution Forces Of Nature

Book:A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge

Source: A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge

“All those who write either explicitly or by insinuation against the dignity, freedom, and immortality of the human soul, may so far forth be justly said to unhinge the principles of morality, and destroy the means of making men reasonably virtuous.”

Men Writing Humans May Mean Said Soul Principles Morality Dignity Immortality Virtuous Human Soul

Book:The applied philosophical works

Source: The applied philosophical works

“If what you mean by the word "matter" be only the unknown support of unknown qualities, it is no matter whether there is such a thing or no, since it no way concerns us; and I do not see the advantage there is in disputing about what we know not what, and we know not why.”

Ifs Knows Way Mean Matter Quality Support Advantage Concern Words Matter

Book:Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues

Source: Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues

“Man is an Animal, formidable both from his Passions and his Reason; his Passions often urging him to great Evils, and his Reason furnishing Means to achieve them. To train this Animal, and make him amenable to Order; to inure him to a Sense of Justice and Virtue, to withhold him from ill Courses by Fear, and encourage him in his Duty by Hopes; in short, to fashion and model him for Society, hath been the Aim of civil and religious Institutions; and, in all Times, the Endeavour of good and wise Men. The aptest Method for attaining this End, hath been always judged a proper Education.”

“The fawning courtier and the surly squire often mean the same thing,--each his own interest.”

Mean Interest Selfishness Surly Courtiers Squires

Book:Works: Account of His Life and Letters

Source: Works: Account of His Life and Letters