Modern Philosophy (1118)

 

 

Eva Maria Räpple, Ph.D.

IC 2612 c

Tel. 630 942 3983

e-mail: raepple@cdnet.cod.edu

Website: http://www.cod.edu/PEOPLE/FACULTY/raepple/

Woman in Mirror. Kirchner, Ernst Ludwig. German. 1880-1938. 1912
o/c 29"x29" Musee Nationale d'Art Moderne (Centre Pompidou), Paris 08/31/05 Photo: #SPL075 http://arthist.cla.umn.edu/aict/html/18_20/SPL/SPL075.html

 

Description

Who are we? “A thinking thing," as the philosopher René Descartes famously claims in his meditation on the nature of the human mind? Is our mind a mirror made rough and uneven by human passions and traditional learning as Francis Bacon argues? What can be known and understood apart from experience? Are human beings free beings or slaves? Are we all engaged in what Michel Foucault calls "games of truth and error" that constitute human existence? Philosophers critically investigate and ponder those questions paving a path for ideas that influence and frequently shape human thought and action. Discover these interesting thinkers trough their writings and learn about Western philosophy from René Descartes (1596-1650) to Jean-Francois Loytard (1924-1998). The course will feature lectures and discussions.

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Objectives

  • Demonstrate a facility with philosophical analysis and argumentation
  • Identify and describe the major philosophical figures and movements of the periods studied
  • Locate cultural and historical influences in the development of philosophy
  • Describe the relationships between philosophical figures and schools, and draw informed comparisons between them
  • Critically assess philosophical arguments for both content and structure
  • Demonstrate an understanding of the influence of key philosophical figures and movements on society and culture

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