Rayon Philosophies des XVIIe et XVIIIe siècles, Lumières
Berkeley revisited : moral, social and political philosophy

Fiche technique

Format : Broché
Nb de pages : XI-305 pages
Poids : 400 g
Dimensions : 16cm X 24cm
ISBN : 978-0-7294-1167-7
EAN : 9780729411677

Berkeley revisited

moral, social and political philosophy


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Broché XI-305 pages

Quatrième de couverture

Since the publication of Paul J. Olscamp's The Moral philosophy of George Berkeley (1970), research has focused on Berkeley's theory of immaterialism as the defining element of his thinking. New readings of his work gathered in this volume position immaterialism as a component of a much broader, overarching apologetic project, which is highly pragmatic in nature.

Through close examinations of Berkeley's writings on key political, economic, social, moral and ethical debates, leading experts demonstrate that his writings are not simply theoretical but also bound to a practical concern with the well-being of humanity. The volume opens with nuanced analyses of Berkeley's utilitarianism, which contributors position more precisely as a theological utilitarianism, a facet of natural law and a theory with a distinctly pragmatic basis. This doctrine is reconsidered in the context of Berkeley's moral philosophy, with contributors highlighting the implications of free will for the evaluation of personal (or divine) responsibility for one's actions. Berkeley's concept of desire is reconfigured as a virtue, when channelled towards the common good of society. Contributors close by reassessing Berkeley's political and economic thought and uncover its practical dimension, where individualism is sacrificed for the greater, national interest.

The George Berkeley to emerge from this book is a philosopher deeply concerned with the political, economic and social problems of his time, whose writings proposed practical and not simply theoretical solutions to the challenges facing Britain in the eighteenth century.

Biographie

Sébastien Charles is Dean of Research and Innovation at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. His research in modern and contemporary philosophy focuses on idealism and scepticism in the classical age, and he has written and edited numerous publications on Berkeley, Hume, and Enlightenment scepticism.

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