On the early reception of Berkeley in Germany

Wolfgang Breidert

pp. 231-241

in: Ernest Sosa (ed), Essays on the philosophy of George Berkeley, Berlin, Springer, 1987

Abstract

"Berkeley in Germany" is a sad story, in which the scandal of Kant's refutation of idealism was only one of the most important points. In Germany Berkeley's name evokes sometimes a vague image — "there was a bishop" — or the trinity" of "Locke, Berkeley, and Hume." Often you will find merely misunderstanding, but more frequently there is great ignorance. Some typical elements of the story are these: the first planned translation of the Three Dialogues in Germany proposed by Gottsched is missing, and perhaps it was never carried out¹ ; and the beginning of a German edition of Berkeley's philosophical works in 1781 was its end, the first volume, including onl" the Three Dialogues, having been the only one published.

Cited authors

Kant Immanuel

Berkeley George