Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous

Written by George Berkeley

Narrated by Ray Childs

Berkeley uses the Socratic mode of inquiry in Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous to question fundamental beliefs about knowledge and reality. These dialogues are between Hylas (whose name is derived from the ancient Greek word for matter) and Philonous, whose name means "lover of mind".





The new physical sciences developed in the 17th century supported the materialism proposed by Thomas Hobbes and several other philosophers. This worldview proclaimed that all of reality consists of nothing but matter in motion, thus promoting atheism and ethical skepticism. The implications for politics, ethics, and religion caused concern among leading intellectuals in the 18th century.





Whatever the value of the positive claims presented in this work, Berkeley foreshadows the philosophical impact of 20th-century physics, which challenges the foundations of such materialism and calls for a better understanding of both the physical and the mental aspects of reality.





© Agora Publications

• Language: English
• Publisher: AB Publishing
• Release date: Sep 7, 2016
• ISBN: 9781518935114

George Berkeley

George Berkley (1685–1753) was an Irish philosopher who thrived during the 18th century’s Age of Enlightenment. Born in Ireland and educated at Kilkenny College and Trinity College, he earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree before entering a career as a lecturer. Berkley’s first notable work as a writer was An Essay Towards a New Theory of Vision published in 1709. Yet, his biggest successes came with A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge followed by Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous. Berkley’s best known for his Theory of Immaterialism and contributions to the British Empiricism movement.