What can we say we know with certainty? What does it mean to say that we know something? How does knowledge differ from belief? Can an exploration of basic philosophical questions, such as How do we know what we know? and What are the limits of our understanding? inform our thinking not just on intellectual issues, but on broader cultural challenges as well?

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Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous by George Berkeley

4 Thursday Afternoons, December 19 - January 30

 

George Berkeley (1685 – 1753) was an Anglo-Irish philosopher whose primary achievement was the advancement of a theory he called immaterialism (later referred to as subjective idealism by others). This theory denies the existence of material substance and instead contends that familiar objects are ideas perceived by the mind and, as a result, cannot exist without being perceived. Berkeley is also known for his critique of abstraction, an important premise in his argument for immaterialism. Over four Thursday afternoon online seminars the series will cover:

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December 19 - Preface and start of first dialogue (pp. 2-23)

January 2 - End of first dialogue (pp. 24-42)

January 16 - Second dialogue (pp. 43-60)

January 30 - Third dialogue (pp. 61-94)

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Join us as we discuss this foundational work from Berkeley. This series continues a broader series on epistemology. All are welcome. Please join us even if this will be your first seminar in the series.