K. Violet McKeon

Teaching

"Bertini fresco of Galileo Galilei and Doge of Venice"
by Giuseppe Bertini

History of Modern Philosophy

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An introduction to the philosophy of the 17th and 18th centuries, with that era’s scientific revolution to guide our explorations into the evolution of ideas. Keeping a careful eye on the holistic historical environment of the time, we will investigate how philosophers of the era addressed the question of, “What do we know, and how do we know it?” Starting with the contributions of Copernicus and Galileo, we’ll engage with the thought of both the canonical works of major Western philosophers such as Descartes, Leibniz, Locke, Hume, and Kant as well as lesser-known correspondents and contributors to the collective discourse.