--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is indeed an opinion strangely…" description: "\"“It is indeed an opinion strangely prevailing amongst men, that houses, mountains, rivers, and in a word all sensible objects have an existence natural..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/george-berkeley-8287_empiricism_it-is-indeed-an-opinion-strangely-prevai_529791.jpg" --- # It is indeed an opinion strangely prevailing amongst men… ![“It is indeed an opinion strangely prevailing amongst men, that houses, mountains, rivers, and in a word all sensible objects have an existence natural or real, distinct from their being perceived by the understanding. But with how great an assurance and acquiescence soever this principle may be…” quote by George Berkeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/george-berkeley-8287_empiricism_it-is-indeed-an-opinion-strangely-prevai_529791.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/george-berkeley-8287_empiricism_it-is-indeed-an-opinion-strangely-prevai_529791.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a5c/george-berkeley-8287_empiricism_it-is-indeed-an-opinion-strangely-prevai_529791.jpg) > ““It is indeed an opinion strangely prevailing amongst men, that houses, mountains, rivers, and in a word all sensible objects have an existence natural or real, distinct from their being perceived by the understanding. But with how great an assurance and acquiescence soever this principle may be entertained in the world; yet whoever shall find in his heart to call it in question, may, if I mistake not, perceive it to involve a manifest contradiction. For what are the forementioned objects but the things we perceive by sense, and what do we perceive besides our own ideas or sensations; and is it not plainly repugnant that any one of these or any combination of them should exist unperceived?' (Berkeley, 1710: 25)”” [George Berkeley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-berkeley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Berkeley argues that material objects cannot exist independently of perception; their reality is contingent on being sensed or thought of. **In simple terms:** Objects exist only when perceived. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about unseen reality. Themes philosophy perception reality skepticism Mood contemplative inquisitive Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - Scientific research - everyday observation - artistic creation - psychological introspection - ethical decision making Key Concepts Idealism empiricism ontological debate Questions to Reflect On - Do you ever trust something you cannot directly perceive? A Different Perspective If all is mind‑dependent, how do we account for consistent laws of nature? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Empiricism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/empiricism/) [Idealism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idealism/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) ## Related quotes > [“I think that thinking of our material universe, the one we perceive with our sense, as the only thing is not only foolish, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodora-goss/i-think-that-thinking-of-our-material-universe-the-one-we-perceive/) [Theodora Goss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodora-goss/) > [Anyone is to be pitied who has just sense enough to perceive his deficiencies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/anyone-is-to-be-pitied-who-has-just-sense-enough-to-perceive-his/) [William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/) > [“The mechanisms that form our perceptions operate almost entirely below the level of conscious awareness; ironically, we cannot sense how we sense. 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