City of Berkeley, Cal named after Irish slave owner
Engraving depicting George Berkeley (1685-1753), Irish philosopher, circa 1730. Berkeley also served as the Bishop of Cloyne. (Photo by Kean Collection/Getty Images)
BERKELEY, Calif. - A name change in Ireland is bringing up new questions about Berkeley's namesake.
Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland is removing the name Berkeley from a library on campus, since it was named for 18th century philosopher George Berkeley, who was a slave owner, the East Bay Times reported.
The city of Berkeley, Calif., and UC Berkeley, were also named after him.
The University of California campus says there are no plans to change its name.
A UC Berkeley spokesperson said Cal acknowledges George Berkeley's views warrant "no honor."
But the spokesperson went on to say the name Berkeley is now more associated with a different set of values and perspectives.