"The first essay in David Berman's new collection examines the full range of Berkeley's philosophical contribution, looking not only at his classic works of 1709-1713, but also at his later writings, particularly Alciphron (1732). The next chapter criticizes the view, still uncritically held by many, that Berkeley's attacks on materialism were levelled against Locke, that Locke was his enemy." "Part two opens with two key essays on the rich and coherent Irish philosophical background, from which Berkeley's philosophy emerged, which includes the work of Toland, Molyneux, Hutcheson, as well as Browne, King, Swift and Burke - the left-wing and right-wing Irish Lockeans, as Berman describes them. Other chapters discuss the link between Berkeley and Hutcheson, particularly their answers to the famous Molyneux problem, and also the role of ideology in Irish philosophy. Chapter six demonstrates the impact of Irish philosophy on eighteenth-century American philosophy, where, again, Berkeley has a central position." "Part three shows the many-sidedness of Berkeley's career, which is missed by those who concentrate exclusively on his writings of 1709-1713. Each chapter here presents new material on Berkeley's life, or on his thought or works; some of these are new letters, never published before in book form. The last chapter examines Berkeley's influence on the Irish novelist and playwright, Samuel Beckett."--Jacket.