From The Querist to Siris and Back. Berkeley’s Social Philosophy 1737–1752

Abstract

The article reconstructs a shift in Berkeley’s understanding of nature and human society in his late works: The Querist (1737-1752, various editions) and Siris (1744). Together with the abandonment of metaphysics of his early works, Berkeley seems to have reconsidered the notion of nature there. He ceased to understand it in a static way, as an ideal, unchanging work, created by God once and for all and conceived it rather as an organicistic and dynamic whole developing in time. Together with that change in metaphysics, Berkeley developed a new approach towards solving social problems which stressed the Reed of changing human habits not only by immediate operation of law but also by sensitivity to human misery and the improvement of education. This change can be seen when the earlier and later the editions of The Querist are compared.