Berkeley and Empiricism

Overview

If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it still make a sound? You've probably heard that question before and you just might have passed it off as just another example of philosophical nonsense. But actually, this very question was instrumental in combating eighteenth-century empiricism—a movement that ultimately leads to atheism. So how do we get from falling trees in the forest to affirming God's existence? In this message, Dr. Sproul explains the contribution of Bishop Berkeley as he challenged the tide of empiricism that was sweeping through eighteenth-century thought.