Berkeley's philosophy of immaterialism

Berkeley's philosophy of immaterialism argues that physical objects only exist as perceptions in our minds and do not have an existence independent of our observation. He famously stated, "To be is to be perceived." This means that things only exist when they are seen or experienced; for example, a tree falling in a forest doesn't exist in any meaningful way if no one is there to hear it. Berkeley posited that God constantly perceives everything, ensuring the continuity of existence even when we are not observing. Thus, reality is fundamentally tied to perception and consciousness.