The Querist
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- Clean text
- Extent:
- ~27,800 words · 132 passages
Cite this work
- APAGeorge Berkeley. (n.d.). The Querist. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/george-berkeley/the-querist
- MLAGeorge Berkeley. "The Querist." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/george-berkeley/the-querist.
- ChicagoGeorge Berkeley. The Querist. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/george-berkeley/the-querist.
What it is about
The Querist (1735–1737): Irish economics written ENTIRELY as questions.
Context and history
Some six hundred questions in a row and no answers. Berkeley, by then Bishop of Cloyne, discusses Irish poverty, paper money and a national bank. The form is not a whim: asking was how to say things a bishop could not assert.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
3. Qu. Whether the drift and aim of every wise State should not be, to encourage industry in its members? And whether those who employ neither heads nor hands for the common benefit deserve not to be expelled like drones out of a well-governed State? 4. Qu. Whether the four elements, and man's labour therein, be not the true source of wealth? 5. Qu. Whether money be not only so far useful, as it stirreth up industry, enabling men mutually to participate the fruits of each other's labour? 6. Qu. Whether any other means, equally conducing to excite and circulate the industry of mankind, may not be as useful as money. 7. Qu. Whether the real end and aim of men be not power? And whether he who could have everything else at his wish or will would value money? 8. Qu. Whether the public aim in every well-govern'd State be not that each member, according to his just pretensions and industry, should have power? 9. Qu. Whether power be not referred to action; and whether action doth not follow appetite or will? 10. Qu. Whether fashion doth not create appetites; and whether the prevailing will of a nation is not the fashion? 11. Qu. Whether the current of industry and commerce be not determined by this prevailing will? 12. Qu. Whether it be not owing to custom that the fashions are agreeable? 13. Qu. Whether it may not concern the wisdom of the legislature to interpose in the making of fashions; and not leave an affair of so great influence to the management of women and fops, tailors and vintners? 14. Qu. Whether reasonable fashions are a greater restraint on freedom than those which are unreasonable? 15. Qu. Whether a genera← Back to George Berkeley