George Berkeley (philosopher)

George Berkeley was an 18th-century Irish philosopher best known for his theory of idealism, which asserts that material objects do not exist independently of our perception. He famously stated, "To be is to be perceived." This means that things exist only when they are perceived by someone. According to Berkeley, the physical world relies on our senses and is sustained by God's perception. His ideas challenge the traditional view of materialism, emphasizing that reality is fundamentally tied to our experiences and perceptions. Berkeley aimed to show that the mind and ideas are the primary components of existence.