The seminar is devoted to a close reading of Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous (1713) by the Irish philosopher George Berkeley. Written in the form of a philosophical dialogue, the work presents Berkeley’s defence of immaterialism, the view that material substance does not exist independently of perception. Through the exchange between the sceptical Hylas and the idealist Philonous, Berkeley argues that the objects of our experience exist only as ideas perceived by minds and ultimately sustained by the infinite mind of God.
The Three Dialogues is one of the foundational texts of early modern philosophy and a landmark in the history of empiricism and idealism. Its arguments challenge common assumptions about the nature of reality, perception, and knowledge, while engaging critically with the philosophies of René Descartes, John Locke, and other early modern thinkers. The seminar will explore Berkeley’s central arguments, their historical context, and their enduring significance for metaphysics, epistemology, and the philosophy of perception.