Online Seminar Series: Epistemology of Berkeley

Online Seminar Series

Epistemology of Berkeley

Thursday, October 3, 2024

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What can we say we know with certainty? What does it mean to say that we know something? How does knowledge differ from belief? Can an exploration of basic philosophical questions, such as How do we know what we know? and What are the limits of our understanding? inform our thinking not just on intellectual issues, but on broader cultural challenges as well?

George Berkeley (1685 – 1753) 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 are ideas perceived by the mind 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. Over four Thursday afternoon online seminars the series will cover:

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September 19 – Introduction, pages 3-21

October 3 – Sections 1-48, pages 23-41

October 17 – Sections 49-100, pages 41-62

October 31 – Sections 101-end, pages 62-end

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Join us as we discuss this foundational work from Berkeley. This series continues a broader series on epistemology. All are welcome. Please join us even if this will be your first seminar in the series.

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Click here to visit the Epistemology Page.

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October 3 Reading:

Sections 1-48, pages 23-41

Principles of Human Knowledge

Hackett Publishing Company  (June 1995)
ISBN 978-0915145393

(This is the text for all the seminars in this series)

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Schedule:

Thursdays, 12:30-2:00PM PDT

Tutor:

Carol Seferi

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Location:

Online. Register to receive the link.