A. What is Modern Philosophy

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A. What is Modern Philosophy?

• Historical, Traditional Answer The Big Picture
• a. Ancient Philosophy
• b. Medieval Philosophy
• c. Modern Philosophy
• d. Contemporary Philosophy
• 2. Our Answer Refined
• a. Rationalism
• b. Empiricism
• c. Kants synthesis

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Rationalism vs. Empiricism

• Philosophical view that all knowledge comes from
  reason
• A priori, innate truths and principles
• Deductive system
• Certain knowledge

• Philosophical view that all knowledge comes from
  experience
• A posteriori truths and principles
• Inductively based knowledge
• Probable knowledge

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B. Principal Concerns of Modern Philosophers

• Epistemology
• a. Problem of foundation of knowledge
• b. Problem of certainty
• c. Status of ideas (objects of knowledge)
• 2. Metaphysics
• 1. Problem of Gods existence
• 2. Problem of existence of world
• 3. Problem of other minds

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C. Approaches for Reading

• Strategies
• PQRST
• Inspectional, Analytic, and Syntoptic
• Spirits
• Seriousness Great for their Truths
• Playfulness Great for their errors
• Seriousness Playfulness Great for their
  questions, interesting for their answers

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D. BackgroundScholasticism vs. Modernism

• Systematically static, Aristotelianism
• University professors, dominated by Church
• Commentaries on old truths
• Theocentric
• Latin

• Systems flourished
• Independent, free thinkers, outside of schools
• Original Treatises, new truths
• Human-centered
• vernacular

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E. Background (2) Revival of Skepticism

• Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592)
• Essays (1580, 1588) Que sais-je?
• Exalts weakness of human minds rather than
  strength
• Incapacity of attaining absolute truth in a
  certain metaphysical system.
• The proof lies in the fact that the systems are
  so different.

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E. Background (1) Rise of Scientific Method

• Francis Bacon (1561-1626)
• a. Novum Organum (New Organ, 1620)
• b. Principle of Induction
• c. Knowledge is power
• d. The Four Idols
• 2. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642)
• a. Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World
  Systems (1632)
• b. Corpuscularianism
• c. Laws of nature expressed in universal
  mathematical form

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Timeline of Modern Philosophers

• http//www.timelineindex.com/content/select/91/912
  ,91?pageNum_rsSite1totalRows_rsSite67
• http//www.wadsworth.com/philosophy_d/special_feat
  ures/timeline/enl_timeline.html
• http//www.intute.ac.uk/artsandhumanities/timeline
  _Philosophy.html
• http//librivox.org/newcatalog/