An essay towards: A new theory of vision examines how the human mind learns to interpret what the eyes receive, arguing that sight alone does not reveal distance, size, or spatial relationships. The work proposes that vision is not a direct gateway to understanding the external world but a process shaped by experience, where the mind connects visual sensations with memories formed through touch and movement. Instead of seeing distance instantly, individuals learn it gradually by comparing what they see with what they have physically interacted with. The essay explains that visual perception develops through repeated associations, allowing the mind to interpret depth, location, and magnitude from subtle cues such as changes in eye position or differences in clarity. The writing emphasizes that perception is not mechanical but an active mental construction influenced by judgment and habit. Through practical examples, the text highlights the idea that the senses do not operate independently but support one another. The work encourages readers to reconsider assumptions about how knowledge enters the mind and suggests that reality is understood through accumulated learning rather than immediate visual truth.
George Berkeley was born on March 12, 1685, at Dysart Castle, Ireland, to William Berkeley and Elisabeth Southerne. An Anglo-Irish philosopher, writer, and clergyman, he became one of the most influential thinkers of the early modern period. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, Berkeley developed the doctrine of immaterialism, later known as subjective idealism, which proposed that reality exists only as perceptions within the mind. This philosophical stance challenged the materialist ideas of his time and redefined the relationship between perception, existence, and divine order. Deeply influenced by thinkers such as John Locke, Rene Descartes, and Nicolas Malebranche, Berkeley sought to reconcile empirical observation with spiritual truth, arguing that the existence of all things depends on their being perceived by God. His works, including A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues between Hylas and Philonous, profoundly shaped subsequent philosophical thought. Beyond philosophy, he served as a bishop and advocated education and moral reform. Married to Anne Forster from 1728 until his death, Berkeley passed away on January 14, 1753, in Oxford, leaving a lasting intellectual and theological legacy.
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