Philosophy 25B

Philosophy during the 17th and 18th centuries was shaped largely in response to revolutionary new developments in the natural sciences–the so-called Scientific Revolution. The aim of this course is to give an introductory survey to some of the most important philosophical writings from this modern period. We will read texts by Descartes, Locke, Berkeley, Leibniz, Hume and Kant. The philosophical topics to be covered include the nature of reality, the existence of God, the relation between mind and body, and the possibility of knowing anything about the world around us. The views offered by the philosophers we will be studying have strongly influenced all philosophical thinking to come after this period. Thus, in addition, to learning about the historical context of these works, we will also be critically engaging and assessing the plausibility of the philosophical arguments in their own right.