Modern Philosophy

(2.5-3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Taught as PH 240 at host institution. The modern period is marked by great changes: the scientific revolution, technological progress, the rise of nation states, the Reformation and religious pluralism, the Enlightenment and its ideals concerning the use of reason rather than tradition, universal education, and a strong emphasis on the individual. Modern philosophy deals indeed with the issues raised by our attempts to understand reality scientifically, by our need to reconcile such attempts with traditional moral and religious conceptions and practices, and by our need to reconcile all of this with our commonsense understanding of our world and ourselves and with our social organization. The course is organized as a survey of the major authors and themes of the Modern period in philosophy, with a particular focus on two chief lines of research: epistemology and political theory - and their reciprocal connections and influences. We will examine the views of Francis Bacon, Thomas Hobbes, Rene Descartes, Isaac Newton, John Locke, Lord Shaftesbury, Bernard Mandeville, David Hume, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Adam Smith, Immanuel Kant about knowledge and the nature of reality as well as their analysis in moral and political philosophy. Fremantle: PH 213 - This unit begins with an analysis of the various forces at work in the transition from the medieval world view to the renaissance or "modernity." The Unit then explores the rise of science and technology, and the impact of the modern approach on Western thought and culture. The unit also explores debates between rationalists and empiricists, particularly in connection with the philosophical disciplines of metaphysics and epistemology. Trinity College, Dublin (IT): The 17th and 18th centuries mark the beginning of what is called "modern" (western) philosophy. Stimulated by the scientific revolution, western philosophers-including Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, (Trinity's own) Berkeley, and Hume-addressed issues regarding the ultimate nature of the universe, our knowledge of it, and what view of God it is reasonable to accept. The module is divided into two components. The first will focus on the so-called "rationalists"-Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz. The second will focus on the so- called "empiricists"-Locke, Berkeley, and Hume.