# George Berkeley

> Irish idealist philosopher and Anglican bishop (1685–1753)

**Wikidata**: [Q82049](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82049)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Berkeley)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/george-berkeley

## Summary

George Berkeley was born on March 12, 1685 in Kilkenny[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] and died on January 14, 1753 in Oxford[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][9][10][12][13][14]. He was educated at Kilkenny College and Trinity College, Dublin. His father was William Berkeley[15].Berkeley worked as a philosopher, Anglican priest, writer, epistemologist, philosopher of science, and metaphysician[16]. He held ecclesiastical positions as Dean of Dromore from 1721 to 1724, Dean of Derry from 1724 to 1733, and Roman Catholic Bishop of Cloyne from 1734 to 1753.He married Anne Forster in 1728[17] and they had three children: Lucia Berkeley, Henry Berkeley, and George Berkeley[17][15]. He was buried at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford[4].

## Summary
George Berkeley (1685–1753) was an Irish idealist philosopher, Anglican bishop, and writer best known for developing the doctrine of Immaterialism and for major works in early-modern philosophy. He served in the Anglican church and was affiliated with Trinity College, Dublin, and authored influential philosophical treatises including A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (1710).

## Biography
- Born: 1685 (place not specified in the provided source material); died 1753  
- Nationality: Irish (Kingdom of Ireland)  
- Education: Affiliated with Trinity College, Dublin (constituent college of the University of Dublin)  
- Known for: Development and defense of Immaterialism; major philosophical writings (including A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge)  
- Employer(s): Trinity College, Dublin; served as an Anglican priest and bishop (Anglican Church / Christian ministry)  
- Field(s): Philosophy; theology; education; epistemology; metaphysics; philosophy of science; calculus (related to his writings); Immaterialism

## Contributions
- A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (1710) — a philosophical work by George Berkeley that presents his core doctrines and is listed among his principal publications.  
- Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous — a treatise by Berkeley included among his major published works.  
- The Analyst — a book by Berkeley cited among his writings.  
- Doctrine of Immaterialism — articulated denial of the existence of matter; listed among the philosophical positions associated with Berkeley.  
- Religious office and ministry — served as an Anglican priest and as an Anglican bishop, combining philosophical work with ecclesiastical roles.  
- Academic affiliation — association with Trinity College, Dublin (a long-established constituent college of the University of Dublin).

## FAQs
- Who was George Berkeley?  
  George Berkeley was an Irish idealist philosopher, Anglican bishop, and writer active in the late 17th and first half of the 18th century (1685–1753). He is principally known for his philosophical doctrine of Immaterialism and for several influential treatises.

- What are Berkeley's best-known works?  
  His principal works listed in the provided material are A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (1710), Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, and The Analyst.

- What philosophical doctrine is Berkeley associated with?  
  He is associated with Immaterialism, described in the provided material as the philosophical denial of the existence of matter.

- Where did Berkeley work or have academic ties?  
  Berkeley was affiliated with Trinity College, Dublin, the constituent college of the University of Dublin.

- What roles did Berkeley hold in the church?  
  He served as an Anglican priest and as an Anglican bishop within the Christian ministry.

- With which other thinkers is Berkeley connected in the provided material?  
  The provided connections include John Locke, Nicolas Malebranche, Henri Bergson, Charles Sanders Peirce, Lev Lopatin, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Ernst von Glasersfeld.

## Why They Matter
George Berkeley matters for articulating and defending Immaterialism within early-modern philosophy, a position that challenged prevailing assumptions about the existence of matter and the foundations of knowledge. His major treatises placed epistemology and metaphysics at the center of philosophical debate and engaged questions about perception, reality, and scientific reasoning. Those debates connect him to broader fields listed in the source material — epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science, and even issues touching calculus — and link his work to a set of important philosophers and thinkers named in the provided relationships. Berkeley’s writings are cited among enduring early-modern texts that continue to be studied for their radical approach to the nature of reality and knowledge.

## Notable For
- Development and defense of Immaterialism (philosophical denial of the existence of matter).  
- Author of A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (1710).  
- Author of Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous (treatise).  
- Author of The Analyst (book).  
- Served as an Anglican priest and as an Anglican bishop.  
- Affiliation with Trinity College, Dublin (constituent college of the University of Dublin).  
- Often referred to by the aliases Bishop Berkeley and Bishop George Berkeley.  
- Namesake association found in related material: Berkeley College (residential college at Yale University).  
- Widely referenced in connections to major philosophers and thinkers listed among key people (John Locke, Nicolas Malebranche, Henri Bergson, Charles Sanders Peirce, Lev Lopatin, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Ernst von Glasersfeld).

## Body

### Early life and personal data
- George Berkeley lived from 1685 to 1753.  
- The provided material identifies him as Irish and places his national context within the Kingdom of Ireland.  
- He is identified as a human and as a prominent figure in early-modern philosophy.

### Education and institutional affiliation
- Berkeley is affiliated with Trinity College, Dublin, a constituent college of the University of Dublin in Ireland.  
- Trinity College, Dublin is noted in the provided material with an inception date of 1592 and headquarters in Dublin.  
- The source material lists his education/affiliation with that institution but does not provide degrees or precise dates of matriculation or graduation.

### Ecclesiastical career
- Berkeley is described as an Anglican priest and an Anglican bishop.  
- He performed roles within Christian ministry (the Anglican Church) while also authoring philosophical texts.

### Philosophical fields and positions
- Primary philosophical identity: idealist philosopher.  
- Doctrinal association: Immaterialism — the philosophical denial of the existence of matter is explicitly listed among items connected to Berkeley.  
- Areas of work and interest listed in the source material include philosophy, theology, education, epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science, and connections to issues in calculus.

### Major publications and concrete works
- A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (1710) is explicitly identified as a 1710 philosophical work by George Berkeley.  
  - The Treatise is cited among his principal contributions and is central to his intellectual reputation in the provided data.  
- Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous is listed as a treatise by Berkeley and is included among his major writings.  
- The Analyst is listed as a book by Berkeley and is considered one of his notable publications.  
- The provided material categorizes these works as key outputs that define his philosophical legacy.

### Intellectual connections and contextual thinkers
- The provided material lists a set of key people connected with Berkeley: John Locke, Nicolas Malebranche, Henri Bergson, Charles Sanders Peirce, Lev Lopatin, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Ernst von Glasersfeld.  
- These figures are presented in the source material as associated or relevant to the thematic and historical context in which Berkeley is situated.

### Legacy and named associations
- Berkeley is known by the aliases Bishop Berkeley and Bishop George Berkeley.  
- Related material includes Berkeley College, a residential college at Yale University, indicating institutional naming connections in legacy contexts.  
- The provided sitelink_count for Berkeley is 108, denoting a high number of linked entries in the source dataset.

### Scope of influence across disciplines
- The data ties Berkeley to multiple academic and philosophical domains: epistemology, metaphysics, philosophy of science, theology, and education.  
- His work is listed alongside disciplinary topics such as calculus, suggesting his writing engaged with foundational questions relevant to science and mathematics as reflected in the provided material.

### Summary of documented facts
- Lifespan: 1685–1753.  
- Nationality/Context: Irish; Kingdom of Ireland.  
- Occupations/roles: Idealist philosopher, Anglican priest, Anglican bishop, writer, epistemologist, philosopher of science, Christian minister.  
- Principal works named in the source: A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge (1710); Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous; The Analyst.  
- Philosophical doctrine associated: Immaterialism (denial of the existence of matter).  
- Institutional affiliation: Trinity College, Dublin.  
- Associated thinkers listed: John Locke; Nicolas Malebranche; Henri Bergson; Charles Sanders Peirce; Lev Lopatin; David Hume; Immanuel Kant; Ernst von Glasersfeld.

(End of entry.)

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