George Berkeley Alciphron in Focus (Routledge Philosophers in Focus Series)

This volume contains the four most important dialogues of George Berkeley's "Alciphron, or the Minute Philosopher" (1732) together with essays and commentaries from the 18th to the 20th centuries. "Alciphron" is Berkeley's most sustained work of philosophical theology. It also contains his final views of meaning and language, some of which (as Anthony Flew argues in his essay) anticipate those of Wittgenstein. In his introduction David Berman shows that "Alciphron" has a closer connection with Berkeley's immaterialist philosophy than is generally thought. This book aims to be of considerable interest to philosophy students, particularly those concerned with philosophy of religion and language. It will also be of interest to students in religious studies and intellectual history, since in "Alciphron" Berkeley develops one of the last great philosophical defences of religion as well as providing a shrewd account of the rise and nature of deism and atheism.