A Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge

In the brief one-page Preface, Berkeley states his intention in writing the Treatise: to combat Skepticism and to support religious principles such as “the existence and immateriality of God” and “the natural immortality of the soul” (40). Berkeley positions himself as a religious philosopher defending traditional doctrines and beliefs through the use of rational argument. Berkeley anticipates strong objections to his arguments and emphasizes that he is more concerned that his ideas be true than that they be popular or widely accepted.

The Preface establishes Berkeley’s intentions and expectations. He exhorts the reader to read the Treatise carefully and “suspend his judgment” (4) until finishing it. Berkeley is aware that some of his ideas will seem novel and strange, but the effect will disappear if the reader closely examines his ideas as a whole. Berkeley attempts to forestall negative receptions of the book due to a superficial reading. He teaches the reader how to approach his work, acknowledging that ideas that are “newly known and contrary to the prejudices of mankind” (4) will naturally seem strange at first but that a thoughtful and fair-minded person will take them seriously and put them to the test of reason.