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Glite Dictionary
Bishop Berkeley

Bishop Berkeley

1 9.9
An Irish philosopher and church leader who said only minds and ideas are real
  • proper noun
: Obispo Berkeley
  • Bishop Berkeley argued that reality consists only of minds and their ideas.

Examples

  • The writings of Bishop Berkeley continue to influence both philosophy and theology.

  • Did Bishop Berkeley really believe in the non-existence of material objects?

  • Many university courses include readings from Bishop Berkeley in discussions of idealism.

  • The philosophy of Bishop Berkeley challenges the nature of reality.

  • Bishop Berkeley argued that reality consists only of minds and their ideas.

  • Many university courses include readings from Bishop Berkeley in discussions of idealism.

  • The writings of Bishop Berkeley continue to influence both philosophy and theology.

Synonyms

George Berkeley
vsBishop Berkeley
1 8.5

An Irish philosopher and bishop who said objects exist only in people's minds

is the same person presented using an official church title

Surface Forms

Bishop Berkeley main

Morphology

bishop + Berkeley

This is a proper name referring to a specific historical person; knowing 'bishop' and the string 'Berkeley' only yields the idea "a bishop called Berkeley" but does not convey his philosophical identity or doctrines. The encyclopedic, referential information about this individual (Irish philosopher, idealism) cannot be derived from the constituents, so it is opaque to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Bishop Berkeley was an Irish bishop named George Berkeley who long ago argued that objects are really 'ideas' in minds and not just physical things. That's why his name now stands for the famous view that things exist only when someone perceives them.