As one of the leading thinkers of the early modern period, George Berkeley revolutionized metaphysical thought through his arguments in defense of idealism--the belief that there is no reality outside of ideas and minds and thus no material reality. In contrast to his philosophical predecessors and contemporaries, most notably Locke and Descrates, Berkeley refused the more popular notions of materialism and dualism, and in so doing, developed a defense against skepticism as well as one of the most remarkable and enduring arguments for the existence of God.

This latest addition to the Blackwell Great Minds series outlines the fundamental principles of Berkeley's highly influential contributions to philosophy, paying particular attention to his most influential works, Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous. Noted scholar of early modern philosophy Margaret Atherton conducts a careful and thorough analysis of the logical structures that define Berkeley's metaphysics and underpin his religious philosophy, and articulates the significant conceptual impact of his ideas in the development of these areas of thought. Berkeley's work has influenced great minds from Kant to Hume, and through Atherton's astute analysis and novel contribution to Berkeley scholarship, readers are equipped to find firm footing in his wider body of published work.

Designed as a concise, yet rigorous primer on Berkeley's philosophical thought, Berkeley is an evocative intellectual history of the life and ideas of one of the most important thinkers of the early modern period, emphasizing the significance and impact of his work in the history of philosophy.