George Berkeley

George Berkeley was an Anglo-Irish philosopher and bishop known for his theory of immaterialism.

Born in 1685, he argued that material objects only exist as ideas in the mind, denying the existence of physical substance independent of perception.

This view, later called subjective idealism, challenged prevailing materialist philosophies.

Berkeley also criticized abstract ideas, using this to support his immaterialist stance.

His work influenced later philosophers and anticipated aspects of phenomenalism.

As Bishop of Cloyne, he combined his philosophical pursuits with religious duties.

Berkeley's ideas, though often seen as counterintuitive, remain significant in the history of Western philosophy for their radical approach to metaphysics and perception.