Aims

By the end of the course, the student should:
be familiar with the main concerns and the key authors of Early Modern philosophy;
be able to identify the main problems underlying it;
be able to describe the major debates running through it.

Main themes

To introduce the student to the spirit of Modern philosophy by drawing out the main lines of argument, the principle tendencies and the key thinkers that delineate it.

Content and teaching methods

CONTENTS:
Characteristics of the Modern mind. Renaissance thought. The founders of Modern philosophy. Modern rationalism and empiricism. Kantian critique. German idealism.

METHODS:
The course is primarily based on the lectures. The lectures are not meant to be encyclopedic and cannot cover the entirety of Modern philosophy. Consequently, the lectures are supplemented by the obligatory reading of a history of Modern philosophy.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Pre-requisite: Introductory course on the history of philosophy.

Assessment: An oral exam bearing both on the lectures and on the obligatory reading of a book on the history of Modern philosophy.

Supporting Material: Class notes in the form of a course outline; a history of Modern philosophy; Modern philosophical texts indicated in the bibliography.

Other credits in programs