Seminar in Modern Philosophy

Catalog description

This course builds on its precursor ( PHIL 202 ) to focus on specific topics in philosophy between 1600 and 1800. This includes the nature of substance; the mind-body problem; the method of knowledge acquisition; and the tensions between freedom, causal determinism, and a teleological conception of nature. Assigned readings typically include selections from the canonical texts of major figures such as Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, and Hume. The instructor may also choose to incorporate less studied figures such as Malebranche, Gassendi, Bacon, or women philosophers of the era, such as Lady Conway, Wollstonecraft, and Princess Elizabeth. Students will improve their skills in reading historical texts, reconstructing the arguments in writing, and deepen their appreciation of history of philosophy as a method of analyzing philosophical concepts and problems.