


Hardcover
Published: 21st November 2006
ISBN: 9780415275927
Number Of Pages: 366
Classical Modern Philosophy introduces students to the key philosophers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and explores their most important works. Jeffrey Tlumak takes the reader on a chronological journey from Descartes to Kant, tracing the themes that run through the period and their interrelations. The main texts covered are:
Classical Modern Philosophy is the ideal textbook to accompany a course in the history of modern philosophy, but each chapter can also be studied alone as an introduction to the featured philosopher or work. Jeffrey Tlumak outlines and assesses prominent interpretations of the texts, and surveys the legacy of each great thinker.
'This is the ideal text for undergraduate courses in early modern philosophy. Tlumak's account of these philosophers is accurate, thorough, and concise, and written in a clear and accessible style.' "- ""James Baillie, University of Portland, USA" 'The book is impressively researched and rich in detail. There are no books on the market that rival this in terms of breadth and depth. It will be crucial reading for those encountering the philosophy of the modern period for the first time, as well for more advanced students.' - "Andrew Chignell, Cornell University, USA "
Preface | p. xi |
Acknowledgments | p. xiii |
Descartes and the Rise of Modern Philosophy | p. 1 |
Background to Descartes' Meditations | p. 2 |
Descartes' innovations in how philosophy is written | p. 10 |
Lead-in to the First Meditation | p. 13 |
The First Meditation | p. 15 |
The Second Meditation | p. 22 |
The Third Meditation | p. 32 |
The Fourth Meditation | p. 38 |
The Fifth Meditation | p. 47 |
The Sixth Meditation | p. 59 |
A summary of Cartesian commitments | p. 66 |
Topical highlights from Descartes' correspondence | p. 69 |
Questions about Descartes | p. 71 |
Transition to the remainder of the book | p. 74 |
Some recommended books | p. 75 |
Spinoza | p. 77 |
Overview of Spinoza's philosophy and life | p. 77 |
Ethics Part I: On the nature of the universe | p. 80 |
Ethics Part II: On the nature and origin of the mind | p. 88 |
Ethics Part III: On the nature and origin of actions and passions | p. 95 |
Ethics Part IV: On the burdens of human existence and the ways to overcome them | p. 98 |
Ethics Part V: On the power of reason to liberate us to live blessedly | p. 100 |
Questions about Spinoza | p. 102 |
Some recommended books | p. 104 |
Locke | p. 106 |
An overview of Locke's outlook in the Essay | p. 106 |
Essay Book I: Locke's anti-innatist strategy | p. 109 |
Essay Book II: Perception as the basis for all thinking | p. 110 |
Test Case One: Thinking about power | p. 114 |
Test Case Two: Thinking about substance | p. 116 |
Test Case Three: Thinking about identity | p. 118 |
Essay Book III: Expressing thought in language | p. 122 |
Essay Book IV: Knowledge and opinion | p. 125 |
Questions about Locke | p. 128 |
Some recommended books | p. 131 |
Leibniz | p. 133 |
Background to Leibniz's philosophy | p. 133 |
Overview of Leibniz's philosophy | p. 136 |
How the Discourse on Metaphysics and the Monadology are structured | p. 138 |
Understanding Leibniz's metaphysics by way of his defense of contingency | p. 141 |
Understanding the debate about what things for Leibniz are substances | p. 155 |
Understanding the debate about Leibniz's essentialism | p. 158 |
Understanding what it means for the world to be the best possible | p. 159 |
Understanding debates about relations among key Leibnizian theses | p. 164 |
Space and time as relations among phenomena | p. 166 |
Key elements of Leibniz's epistemology | p. 169 |
Questions about Leibniz | p. 171 |
Some recommended books | p. 173 |
Berkeley | p. 174 |
Overview of approach to the Principles | p. 174 |
Structure of the Principles | p. 176 |
A fuller analysis of four key arguments | p. 180 |
Structure of the Three Dialogues | p. 186 |
A mini-glossary to aid interpretation | p. 189 |
Questions about Berkeley | p. 190 |
Some recommended books | p. 191 |
Hume | p. 193 |
Main alternatives for interpreting Hume | p. 193 |
An outline of the first Enquiry | p. 195 |
Enquiry Sections I-III: Basic principles and materials of the understanding | p. 196 |
Enquiry Sections IV-VII: The basis for all factual thinking | p. 199 |
Enquiry Section VIII: Implications for freedom and morality | p. 201 |
Enquiry Section X: Implications for religion based on miracles | p. 205 |
Treatise: Overview and key elements of Book I, on the understanding | p. 208 |
A famous perplexity about how to read Treatise Book I | p. 213 |
Treatise: Key elements of Book II, on the passions | p. 221 |
Treatise: Key elements of Book III, on morality | p. 225 |
Dialogues: Overview and stage-setting Part I | p. 226 |
Dialogues Parts II-VIII: Design argument for natural religion | p. 230 |
Dialogues Part IX: Cosmological, a priori proof of theism | p. 232 |
Dialogues Parts X-XI: Evil as challenge to theism | p. 234 |
Dialogues Part XII: Guides to deciding Hume's overall message | p. 237 |
Questions about Hume | p. 238 |
Some recommended books | p. 242 |
Kant | p. 244 |
The central strand of Kant's argument | p. 244 |
A precis of the Critique of Pure Reason | p. 249 |
Prefaces and Introduction: Clarifying the project | p. 250 |
Transcendental Aesthetic: How we receive data | p. 254 |
Transcendental Analytic: How we understand data | p. 258 |
Transcendental Dialectic: How we fundamentally misapply thought | p. 278 |
Exploration of pivotal stages of Kant's argument | p. 291 |
My general orientation to the Critique | p. 291 |
A fuller analysis of introductory material | p. 295 |
A fuller analysis of the Aesthetic | p. 300 |
A fuller analysis of the Analytic of Concepts | p. 303 |
A fuller analysis of the Analytic of Principles | p. 312 |
The transition from the Analytic to the Dialectic | p. 320 |
A fuller analysis of the Transcendental Dialectic | p. 324 |
The transition from theoretical to practical philosophy | p. 330 |
The philosophical foundations for moral theory | p. 333 |
Kant on philosophical method | p. 342 |
The Prolegomena's relation to the Critique | p. 343 |
Questions about Kant | p. 345 |
Some recommended books | p. 348 |
Bibliography | p. 353 |
Index | p. 357 |
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
ISBN: 9780415275927
ISBN-10: 041527592X
Series: Routledge Contemporary Introductions to Philosophy
Audience:
Tertiary; University or College
Format:
Hardcover
Language:
English
Number Of Pages: 366
Published: 21st November 2006
Country of Publication: GB
Dimensions (cm): 24.13 x 16.51
x 2.54
Weight (kg): 0.7
Edition Number: 1