Alciphron: Or the Minute Philosopher in Seven Dialogues [with] A New Theory of Vision; Containing an Apology for the Christian Religion, Against Those Who are Called Free-Thinkers by Berkeley, George - 1732

London: J. Tonson, 1732. First edition. Hardcover. Very Good. 2 vol. 8vo. [13], 2-350, [2]; [9], 2-358, [4] pp. Modern smooth brown leather, spine in six compartments with two unpolished labels lettered in gold on each spine; new endpapers and pastedowns, with the original endpapers bound in, brown topstain and red decorative speckling to fore-edge and bottom edge. Illustrated with two small woodcuts on the title pages, and several wood-cut initials, head and tailpieces. Contains one of the mispaginations in volume II but not the other. Name of George Turnbull written on each front flyleaf with annotations on the rear endpaper in volume one. Honderich 89. Keynes 15. Bound with a later edition of Berkeley's Theory of Vision. Written in colonial America, Berkeley's Alciphron is a vigorous defense of Christianity against the atheists, deists, and skeptics of his day. It elicited several responses from other theologians, and would help Berkeley shape his later views concerning philosophy of language. According to Honderich, "Berkeley is a most striking and even unique phenomenon in the history of philosophy. There have been many philosophers who have constructed bold and sweeping ... metaphysical systems ... have been devoted to the clarification and defence of 'common sense' ... some have made it their chief concern to defend religious faith and doctrine against their perceived enemies. It is the peculiar achievement of Berkeley that, with high virtuosity and skill, he contrived to present himself in all these roles at once" (Honderich 89). Volume one shows a small dampstain to the gutter of two-thirds of its leaves, and a bit of residue from a bookplate removal on the front flyleaf.