Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous Summary
George Berkeley

Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous Overview

Originally published in 1713, Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous is a set of philosophical dialogues, inspired by Plato's accounts of Socrates, in which George Berkeley presents his infamous theory that there are no material objects. In the course of three dialogues, Philonous - a stand-in for Berkeley - attacks the philosophical systems of most major philosophers of the modern era while attempting to convince Hylas - a symbol for the intellectual mainstream of the time - that common sense actually demands that we reject the idea of matter. A central text in modern philosophy both for the sophistication of its arguments and the radical nature of its thesis, the Three Dialogues exposes dogmas in philosophy, science, religion, and theology and criticizes empty abstraction and theorizing. In place of these long-held beliefs, the dialogues suggest persuasive new ideas about the nature of our perception, our immediate contact with God, the relationship between experience and reason, the purpose of philosophy, and the ultimate structure of reality.