...talking for some time together of Bishop Berkeley's ingenious sophistry to prove the non-existence of matter, and that every thing in the universe is...force against a large stone, till he rebounded from it,—"I refute it thus." This was a stout exemplification of the first truths ofPere Bouffier, or...

...together of Bishop Berkeley's ingenious sophistry to prove the nonexistence of matter and that everything in the universe is merely ideal. I observed, that...doctrine is not true, it is impossible to refute it. I shall never forget the alacrity with which Johnson answered, striking his foot with mighty force against...

...diverted into politics, but Johnson based his own criticisms on the self-evidence of material reality ("I never shall forget the alacrity with which Johnson...his foot with mighty force against a large stone, til he rebounded from it, 'I refute it thus.'") and an intuition of absurdity: "Being in company with...

...matter. Describing the moment, James Boswell writes, "I observed, that though we are satisfied that his doctrine is not true, it is impossible to refute it. I shall never forget the alacrity with which Johnson answered, striking his foot with mighty force against...

...response to Berkeley nevertheless affords an illuminating point of comparison. When Boswell observes, "that though we are satisfied his doctrine is not true, it is impossible to refute it. ... Johnson answered, striking his foot with mighty force against a large stone, till he rebounded...

...thought that he had given a fatal kick to Berkeley's theory of the non-reality of the external world by ' striking his foot with mighty force against a large stone till he rebounded from it, saying, ' I reject it thus.' He was wholly incapable of dealing with Huxley's eirenicon to the contending...