George Berkeley, in his treatise «A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge», attempts to rationalize the idea of God and His relationship with people and with things that can be perceived but lack “intelligence.” Berkeley proposes that we consider things or objects as entities belonging to the mind, or ideas, which can be perceived by thinking and autonomous minds regarded as souls. These minds, together with perceptible objects, are governed by an omniscient and omnipotent spirit that may be called God.That is, we perceive things because they are part of the mind: they are ideas, and we—thinking beings or immortal souls—are governed, along with the perceived objects, by a benevolent spirit or God. With regard to goodness and evil, Berkeley tells us that God observes everything and that behind what can be perceived as evil there is goodness. In addition to all that concerns God, Berkeley explains that matter itself also consists of ideas that can only be perceived by the mind, lacking any non-intelligent substratum that might support it. In this way, Berkeley overturns the idea of matter as something lacking intelligence that supports it. Thus, George Berkeley attempts to refute skeptics, atheists, and idolaters on the basis of the existence of a God who governs this world.

Bibliography:

Berkeley, George. «A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge».

George Berkeley, en su tratado «A treatise Concerning the Principle of Human Knowledge» intenta racionalizar la idea de Dios y su relación con las personas y las cosas que se pueden percibir pero carecen de «inteligencia». Berkeley nos propone considerar las cosas u objetos como entidades propias de la mente o ideas, las cuales pueden ser percibidas por mentes pensantes y autónomas consideradas como almas y que junto a los objetos percibibles son gobernados por un espíritu omnisciente, omnipotente al que se le puede llamar Dios. Es decir, percibimos las cosas porque son parte de la mente, son ideas y nosotros seres pensantes o almas inmortales y gobernadas, junto a los objetos percibidos por un espíritu o Dios benevolente. En cuanto a la bondad o maldad, Berkeley nos dice que él observa todo y que tras lo que se puede percibir como maldad hay bondad. Además de todo lo concerniente a Dios, Berkeley nos explica que la materia también son ideas que solo pueden ser percibidas por la mente, careciendo la misma de un sustrato no inteligente que la soporte. De esta forma Berkeley desbanca la idea de una materia carente de inteligencia que la soporte. De esta forma George Berkeley intenta refutar a los escépticos, ateos e idólatras a partir de la existencia de un Dios que gobierna este mundo.

Bibliografía:

Berkeley, George. «A Treatise Concerning the Principle of Human Knowledge».