Early 20th-Century Philosophy

3 units

The philosophy of the early 20th century represents a watershed in the history of Western philosophy, as the point when analytic and Continental approaches went their separate ways (despite common roots in Kantian philosophy) and also as the point when philosophy of language and philosophy of science emerged as central fields of philosophy. Against the background of the work of Frege, Husserl, and the neo-Kantians, this course will examine the exchanges among the philosophers of this period (including Russell, Wittgenstein, Moore, and the Vienna Circle), which set much of the analytic agenda for the rest of the century on such topics as meaning, reference, the unity of science, and the fact-value distinction. Prerequisites: one course in philosophy at the 100 and 200 level, or permission of the instructor.