COLLIER, Arthur, English philosopher: b. Langford Magna, Wiltshire, 12 Oct. 1680; d. there 1732. He was educated at Pembroke and Balliol colleges, Oxford, and in 1704 became rector of Langford, a living which had belonged successively to his great-grandfather, grand father and father, and which he retained till his death. In 1713 he published a work entitled (Clavis Universalis,) in which he maintained both the non-existence and the impossibility of the existence of any objects external to the mind. Bericeley had three years before ad vanced incidentally his theory of the negation of an external world, but the two philosophers appear to have had no Icnowledge of each other, and it is certain that Collier meditated upon his opinion for 10 years before promulgating it Though they developed simultaneously the first systematic scheme of absolute idealism, and though Collier was inferior to his contemporary rather in the graces of composition than in acuteness or method, yet the (Clavis Univer salis) attracted not the slightest attention in Emgland. In Germany a copious and able ab
stract of its contents was Riven in 1717, in a supplemental volume of the (Acta Eruditonnn,) and it was quoted by Wolf, Bilfinger and others. In 1756 a complete translation of it into German was made by Eschenbach. Thus rendered accessible in Germany, Collier has enjoyed among the thinIcers of that country high repute for talent and originality, and the best comparative view of his doctrines and those of Berkeley is that given by Tennernann. Other publications of Collier were the (Speci men of True Philosophy) (1730) ; and (Logol ogy) (1732). In religion he was an Arian, and at the same time a high churchman on grounds which his associates could not under stand.