History of Early Modern Philosophy (PHIL20043)

This subject offers an introduction to philosophical debates in early modern philosophy from Descartes to Kant. Questions that were controversially debated during the period inlcude the following: How can we acquire knowledge that is absolutely certain? How can I know that an external world exists outside my own mind? Is my mind an immaterial substance that is distinct from material bodies? What is the relation between mind and body? Can I know that my experiences inhere in an immaterial rather than a material substance? What is a substance? What are the limitations of human understanding? What is a self or person? How do persons continue to exist over time? What role do questions of moral responsibility play in theories of personal identity? In this subject you will enter into a dialogue with early modern thinkers and search for your own answers to their questions. We will trace the historical development of theories concerning knwowledge and skepticism, the mind-body relation, substance, causation, and personal identity through the study of texts in the period from Descartes to Kant.