Alciphron, or the Minute Philosopher
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- Clean text
- Extent:
- ~150,000 words · 716 passages
Cite this work
- APAGeorge Berkeley. (n.d.). Alciphron, or the Minute Philosopher. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/george-berkeley/alciphron-or-the-minute-philosopher
- MLAGeorge Berkeley. "Alciphron, or the Minute Philosopher." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/george-berkeley/alciphron-or-the-minute-philosopher.
- ChicagoGeorge Berkeley. Alciphron, or the Minute Philosopher. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/george-berkeley/alciphron-or-the-minute-philosopher.
What it is about
The seven dialogues of 1732 in which Berkeley defends the Christian religion against the free-thinkers of his day, and along the way sets out his whole philosophy without technical vocabulary.
Context and history
'Minute philosopher' is a jab: those who make great things small. The speakers Alciphron and Lysicles hold the positions of Shaftesbury and Mandeville, and Berkeley answers them one by one. The fourth dialogue contains his best-known argument, that of the visual language: to see is to interpret signs that do not resemble what they signify, as words do not, so that all nature is a discourse. The seventh is a theory of meaning well ahead of the twentieth century: some words work not by calling up ideas but by regulating conduct. It was written in Rhode Island, while he waited for money that never came to found a college in Bermuda.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
Author of a Treatife concerning the principles of Human Knowledge, and 'various other Wort i, chief y in defence of Chrifianity, againf Athe'fs and Infidds. They have forfaken me the Fountain of living waters, and hewed them out ciftercs, broken citterns, that can hold no water. Jerem. u. 13. Sin mcrtuus, ut quidam rr.inuti Philofophi cenl'ent, nihil fcntiam, non verew ne hunc - errorem meum mortui Philofophi irrideant. Cicero. THE FIRST AMERICAN, FROM THE FOURTH LONDON ED!TI0?7, jFrom ©tank's fyttfgl For INCREASE COOKE & Co.— New-Have* ©©©©©©0©©2>©©©©©©©©©©©©©©0©O©©©©©©©©©©©©©© CHARACTER OF THE WORK. THE MINUTE PHILOSOPHER is an able defence of Divine Revelation. The writer is the celebrated BERKLEY, Biihop of Cloyne ; univerfally confidered as one of the firft Philofophers, who have appeared in any age, or country. For the difcufiion of this fubject he was better qualified than almoft any other man, by his pre-eminent talents, both natural and acquired ; particularly by his great learning and fingular powers of reafoning. This work Is an illuftrious proof of thofc talents, and may be confidered as a ftore-houfe, whence many fucceeding writers have drawn their materials, and their arguments. The Minute Philofopher coniifls of a feries of dialogues, involving moil of the important topics in the debate between Chriftians and Infidels ; the principal arguments by which Chriftianity is defended, and the principal objections with which it has been oppoi'ed. The reafoning is clear, found, and conclufive ; and has never been anfwered. The characters of the difputants are well chofen, and ably fupported ; and their converfation is fpirited and natural. The work is of courfe highly entertaining, as well as convincing. In the character of Euphranor, particularly,