PHL 2029 Modern Philosophy
The purpose of this course is to introduce you to modern philosophy. It will give a particular emphasis to Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant, and Hegel. In the modern period, philosophy abandoned the great metaphysical path of ancient and medieval philosophy and embarked on the bold new attempt to reground philosophy through epistemology. In this course, we will consider such topics as rational autonomy, the importance of grounding one's beliefs, systematizing beliefs, and absolute truths. The goal of this course is to understand both the historical development and the major themes of modern philosophy. Further, this course is intended to convince you of the importance of philosophical inquiry for your own life, and to aid you in the development of your critical thinking and reading skills.