George Berkeley (MP)

George Berkeley was born in Ireland in 1685, and became one of the most important philosophers of the 18th century. He is best known for his philosophy of immaterialism or idealism, which posits that the world is composed entirely of ideas and that objects only exist as perceptions in the minds of observers. Berkeley attended Trinity College in Dublin and later became a bishop in the Church of Ireland. In 1713, he travelled to Europe and became interested in philosophy, particularly the work of John Locke. Berkeley's most famous work is his book "A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge" (1710), in which he argued against the materialist view of the world and proposed his theory of idealism. He also wrote "Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous" (1713), in which he further elaborated on his theory. In addition to his philosophical work, Berkeley was also a philanthropist and advocated for better education in Ireland. He founded a college in Bermuda in 1728, which would later become known as the University of California Berkeley. Berkeley died in Oxford in 1753 and is remembered as one of the most influential thinkers of his time.