What if your table isn’t real? What if the world exists only because someone is looking at it? And what if God is basically the universe’s full-time CCTV operator? Welcome to the metaphysical universe of George Berkeley—the 18th-century Irish bishop who tried to delete matter from existence and somehow ended up influencing theology, idealism, consciousness studies, simulation theory, and countless philosophical jokes. This book is your irreverent companion through Berkeley’s ideas, life, and legacy. It breaks down his metaphysics in clear, modern language—while fully acknowledging the absurdity, audacity, and occasional brilliance of a system that insists everything is made of ideas. Inside you’ll find: A lively biography of Berkeley, from his childhood to the Bermuda scheme that never happened. A clear, entertaining explanation of immaterialism—his argument that the physical world is nothing but perception. A deep dive into his major writings, including Principles of Human Knowledge and the Three Dialogues. Comparisons with Locke, Descartes, Hume, and Kant, who variously ignored him, mocked him, or reverse-engineered him. A tour of the philosophical and scientific rebuttals that Berkeley would absolutely hate. A look at how his ideas pop up in modern debates on consciousness, panpsychism, and the simulation hypothesis—yes, really. An exploration of Berkeley’s surprising cultural afterlife, from memes and jokes to sci-fi and thought experiments. Whether you’re a student trying not to fall asleep in an early modern philosophy class, a curious reader who wants to understand idealism without getting a headache, or someone who simply enjoys watching philosophers commit conceptual chaos with a straight face—this book is for you.
