PHIL - 202 Modern Philosophy

Philosophy is associated with fundamental questions: metaphysical questions concerning the nature and origin of the universe and the individual; epistemological questions concerning the nature of truth and the  nature and possibility of knowledge; and ethical questions concerning the nature of moral judgments.  However, more fundamentally,  Philosophy is a method of inquiry - a critical method where speculation and dogmatic acceptance is replaced by a concern for evidence and rational justification. While this method was not invented in the Modern period (17th-20th centuries), it was resurrected and extended in this period. This course will highlight the rebirth of this method within the Modern philosophical tradition of Europe and America, as well as noting comparisons between this tradition and contemporary Asian philosophical views. Emphasis will be placed on careful interpretation and evaluation of canonical texts.