ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the geopolitical background of Berkeley’s times and the Irish intellectual context of his philosophical development. First, the broader political and historical landscape in Europe and in particular in Ireland and Britain in the late 17th and early 18th century is presented. Second, Berkeley’s exceedingly eventful life will be presented, including his early education in Ireland, his remarkable philosophical productivity in his twenties, his journeys to Italy and America and his later works on economics, mathematics, medicine and philosophy. Finally, the central arguments and context of Berkeley’s first two major works, the New Theory of Vision and Principles of Human Knowledge will be briefly considered.
