Alciphron in Focus

by George Berkeley, David Berman (Editor )

Alciphron, or the Minute Philosopher (1732) is Berkeley's main work of philosophical theology and a crucial source of his views on meaning and language. This edition contains the four most important dialogues and a selection of critical essays and commentaries reflecting the response of such writers as Hutcheson, Mill and Antony Flew. The only single edition currently in print, it argues that Alciphron has a more important place both in the Berkeley canon and in early modern philosophy than is generally thought.

Genres: Philosophy

248 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 1993

About the author

George Berkeley (/ˈbɑːrklɪ/;[1][2] 12 March 1685 – 14 January 1753) — known as Bishop Berkeley (Bishop of Cloyne) — was an Anglo-Irish philosopher whose primary achievement was the advancement of a theory he called "immaterialism" (later referred to as "subjective idealism" by others). This theory denies the existence of material substance and instead contends that familiar objects like tables and chairs are only ideas in the minds of perceivers, and as a result cannot exist without being perceived. Berkeley is also known for his critique of abstraction, an important premise in his argument for immaterialism.

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

George^Berkeley

Reviews

[Otto Lehto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Berkeley is generally considered a brilliant philosopher who advocated for absurdity. He was also a master of the dialogue form, e.g in his celebrated Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous. The book Alciphron, which takes its name from the Epicurean school, is another brilliant exposition of Berkeley's breathtaking analytical skill and philosophical depth.

The work defends the tenets of Christianity from atheists, deists, and free thinkers. It is written as an engaging and dramatic dialogue between two free thinkers and two Christian apologists. The text is full of brilliant literary allusions, dramatic rhetorical flourishes, and strident wit and sarcasm. It works really well as literature as much as as Socratic dialogue. (In fact, I felt so entertained by it that I would love to see the dialogues turned into a multi-hour philosophical stage play with Shakespearean actors playing the parts of the multifaceted dramatis personae!)

The dialogues are coherently structured - as you would expect - and mostly interesting. They deal with various aspects of religion, faith, and theology, to counteract the contemporary claims from secularists and deists that revealed religion (Christianity) is contrary to natural religion, science, logic, and common sense. Berkeley begs to differ - and he does so brilliantly. He slashes at all signs of weakness and contradiction in the arguments against religious faith and observance. He manages to present Christianity in the best possible light as 1) the solution to the demands of philosophy, science, and reason; and one that 2) comports the natural inclinations of common sense. The biggest weakness for me was his spectacular failure to justify the irrationality of all articles of faith (a task in which lesser minds have vanquished in vain - for understandable reasons). Thankfully, this discussion around religious dogma only takes up a fraction of the book's contents.

The book provides has three separate merits, since it provides: 1) A comprehensive and cogent apology for the Christian faith. 2) Related and fascinating philosophical inquiries into perception, reason, semiotics, psychology, etc. 3) A titillating rhetorical tour de force of Socratic dialogue. I remain unconvinced by the truth of Christianity, but I didn't come in to be converted - I came in to awe at the philosophical prowess of one of the masters of the craft. I wasn't disappointed.