Author Bio| George Berkeley | | George Berkeley graduated from Trinity College, Dublin at the age of 19. In 1707 he was made a fellow there, and by 1713, he had completed the majority of his philosophical writing. His early work, including a unique series of notebooks on the development of his philosophical and mathematical ideas (published as "Philosophical Commentaries") is considered his best. Following travels through Europe, Berkeley accepted the post of Dean of Derry in 1724. Four years later, while awaiting British funds for the establishment of a college in Bermuda, Berkeley lived in Rhode Island. This project never came to fruition, and he returned to Ireland, where he was named Bishop of Cloyne in 1734. He remained in this position for much of the rest of his life. Berkeley made significant contributions to the psychology of vision, and, along with John Locke and David Hume, was one of the three great British empiricists. Berkeley's philosophical contribution to this movement lies in his theory that the entire existence of matter depends on people's perception that it exists. The city of Berkeley, California was named after George Berkeley, who said, "Westward the course of empire takes its way." |
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