Early Modern Philosophy

Early modern philosophy – sometimes also called classical modern philosophy – begins around the 1500s and extends to the end of the 1700s. This course is an introduction to this period in the history of Western philosophy. It begins with Montaigne's skepticism and ends with Kant's original turn in philosophy, shifting the focus from the objects of experience to experience itself. The course also covers philosophers such as Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Leibniz, Berkeley, and Hume. Additionally, thinkers like Isaac Newton, Pierre Bayle, Christian Wolff, and Voltaire, as well as female philosophers such as Princess Elizabeth, Mary Astell, Margaret Cavendish, and Anne Conway, will also feature in the course. Some of the classic philosophical problems addressed in the course include external world skepticism, the mind-body problem, primary and secondary qualities, epistemological realism and idealism, mechanism, the existence of God, the problem of evil, and views on humanity, as well as issues related to racism, slavery, and the concepts of masculinity and femininity.

Learning platform: Reading instructions, detailed course planning, etc. will be posted on the course's Canvas page. Admitted students who have activated their student account and have been registered for the course will automatically become participants on the course's Canvas page.

Language of Instruction: English (evening course)

Instructor/Examiner for Spring 2027: Miira Tuominen

For other information about the course (teaching method, expected learning outcomes, attendance requirements, examination method, grading scale, etc.), see the course syllabus.