Berkeley (1685-1753) is a favourite philosopher because, as the author of this essay says, 'he thought so well and felt so clearly that sympathetic sentences dropped naturally from his pen'. Reading him is one of the finest mental exercises we can enjoy: 'He thrust his mind into several fields, and distinguished himself in several. . . . We get the fairest measure of him when we see him as one who could think well about most matters.'

Professor Jessop, whose chair is in Hull University, is associated with Professor A. A. Luce as editor of Berkeley's works and this essay will demonstrate that he is not only one of Berkeley's greatest editors but also one of his most illuminating exponents.