History of Modern Philosophy

The course considers the history of philosophy that spans from the inception of the modern age to our contemporary period.  This modern period is introduced by the Renaissance that fostered a return to the pre-eminence of ancient philosophy and a paramount attention to nature and by Humanism that placed the human being at the centre of reality.  This early period has the names of N. Machiavelli, T. More, and G. Galilee. With R. Descartes and the rise of Rationalism, modern philosophy begins.  Rationalism considers reason as the source of knowledge and the main names within this tradition are B. Spinoza, N. Malebranche, B. Pascal, and g. W. Leibnitz.  Rationalism is counteracted by empiricism emphasizing experience as the origin of knowledge.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Course Objective:

• This course has the objective of teaching students the main philosophical ideas that specifically shaped the ‘project modernity’. It aims at acquainting students with knowledge of these ideas and capacity to analyse their impact on contemporary life.