A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge

In Objection 4 (Section 45, Page 43), Berkeley employs a variation on the traditional quandary, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Berkeley answers that it does not. Do you believe that Berkeley answers the objection convincingly? Why or why not?

What does Berkeley mean by “substance”? What reason does he give for believing that spirit is the only substance that exists?

What are the main religious objections to Berkeley’s theories, and how does he answer them?

Why, according to Berkeley, is his system of philosophy a safeguard against skepticism?

According to Berkeley, how do the ideas of sense differ from those of the imagination?

What does “perception” mean for Berkeley? What role does perception play in the operation of the faculties of reason and will?

Does Berkeley believe that God is directly responsible for our experiences of the world, or are there other causes? What role does God play in our sense perception?

For Berkeley, is knowledge a result of sense perception, reason, or both?