Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous in Opposition to Sceptics and Atheis
- Language:
- English
- Status:
- Complete work
- Authorship:
- Written by the author
- Condition of the text:
- Clean text
- Extent:
- ~36,800 words · 175 passages
Cite this work
- APAGeorge Berkeley. (n.d.). Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous in Opposition to Sceptics and Atheis. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/george-berkeley/three-dialogues-between-hylas-and-philonous-in-opposition-to-sceptics-and-atheis
- MLAGeorge Berkeley. "Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous in Opposition to Sceptics and Atheis." SigPhi, https://sigphiai.com/en/works/george-berkeley/three-dialogues-between-hylas-and-philonous-in-opposition-to-sceptics-and-atheis.
- ChicagoGeorge Berkeley. Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous in Opposition to Sceptics and Atheis. SigPhi. https://sigphiai.com/en/works/george-berkeley/three-dialogues-between-hylas-and-philonous-in-opposition-to-sceptics-and-atheis.
What it is about
Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous (1713): the same argument as a conversation.
Context and history
Berkeley wrote it because the Treatise had not been understood. Hylas defends matter and Philonous takes him apart. It is one of the few philosophical dialogues after Plato that actually work as dialogue rather than as monologue with interruptions.
Editorial context, not a citable source: unlike the passages of the work itself, these statements cannot be checked against the corpus.
HYLAS. It is indeed something unusual; but my thoughts were so taken up with a subject I was discoursing of last night, that finding I could not sleep, I resolved to rise and take a turn in the garden. PHIL. It happened well, to let you see what innocent and agreeable pleasures you lose every morning. Can there be a pleasanter time of the day, or a more delightful season of the year? That purple sky, those wild but sweet notes of birds, the fragrant bloom upon the trees and flowers, the gentle influence of the rising sun, these and a thousand nameless beauties of nature inspire the soul with secret transports; its faculties too being at this time fresh and lively, are fit for those meditations, which the solitude of a garden and tranquillity of the morning naturally dispose us to. But I am afraid I interrupt your thoughts: for you seemed very intent on something. HYL. It is true, I was, and shall be obliged to you if you will permit me to go on in the same vein; not that I would by any means deprive myself of your company, for my thoughts always flow more easily in conversation with a friend, than when I am alone: but my request is, that you would suffer me to impart my reflexions to you. PHIL. With all my heart, it is what I should have requested myself if you had not prevented me. HYL. I was considering the odd fate of those men who have in all ages, through an affectation of being distinguished from the vulgar, or some unaccountable turn of thought, pretended either to believe nothing at all, or to believe the most extravagant things in the world. This however might be borne, if their paradoxes and scepticism did not draw after them some consequences of general disadvantage to mankind. But the mischief lieth here; t
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