Meets the following requirements: HS   

Perhaps the most important influence in the rise of modern philosophy was the scientific revolution
of the 16th and 17th centuries. In their attempt to understand this revolution and describe its logic, the philosophers of the 17th and 18th centuries from Descartes to Hume wove an account of the sciences that eventually brought into question their conceptual intelligibility. In his Critique of Pure Reason, Immanuel Kant described the limits of reason, offered a completely new understanding of the relationship between the mind and the world, and laid new foundations for understanding the sciences. Kant's views have strongly influenced all subsequent philosophizing. This seminar will offer a close examination of Kant's most important work and relate its views to many of the major themes in the history of philosophy. Students will be expected to make a number of seminar presentations based on the various sections of the Critique, and will submit a final research paper.

Level:  Advanced.  Class limit 10.  *HS*