Th Century Continental Philosophy

This historical introduction focuses on central concepts of 19th century European philosophy, many of which have profoundly shaped our current philosophical, political, and cultural landscape. The course proceeds historically. With a keen eye on each thinker's responses to their predecessors, we will attempt to understand Fichte's modification of key Kantian claims, Hegel's dialectic and speculative phenomenology, Marx's historical materialism, Kierkegaard's philosophical conception of faith, and Nietzsche's genealogical method. Topics to be considered include the nature and ground of human cognition; the philosophical significance of history; the relationship of knowledge and reason to history and social facts; the nature of faith and its relation to reason, responsibility, and human identity; the origin and meaning of moral claims; the 'hermeneutic' nature of human experience and consciousness; and others.