Early Modern Philosophy

AY2020/2021 Semester 1

This course offers an overview of central arguments and debates in early modern philosophy. We will examine different responses to what is arguably the central epistemological question of the period: is knowledge based on reason or on experience? By working through the answers to this question given by Descartes, Hume, Leibniz, and Kant, we will better understand key commitments of the Rationalist and Empiricist philosophical traditions, and get a sense of how Kant attempts to transform the terms of the debate. We will also have the opportunity to cultivate analytical and critical skills that will help us better understand the arguments of early-modern philosophers and their relevance today. The course will feature extensive textual and argument analysis.