ABSTRACT
Exegetes know that George Berkeley attributes as many conceptual infirmities to the doctrine that there are abstract general ideas as he do remedial virtues to the imbibing of tar water. He tells that the abstraction thesis is one of the chief causes of error in the sciences, and one of the grounds of scepticism, atheism, and irreligion. Berkeley is famous, or perhaps notorious, for the large amount of explicit argumentation that exists in his works relative to the number of words he employs. This is especially true of the Principles. Berkeley is famous, or perhaps notorious, for the large amount of explicit argumentation that exists in his works relative to the number of words he employs. This is especially true of the Principles. As Professor Henry Allison has pointed out in his ‘Bishop Berkeley’s Petitio’ this would make Berkeley’s argument question begging.
