Course I - Course Introduction

     This is the first of two courses on the Enlightenment.  This course covers pre-Enlightenment philosophers from c. 1637 - 1715.  The Enlightenment philosophers of the 18th century will be covered in a course this fall entitled The Enlightenment: The Origins of the Modern Political World.  

    The main theme of these courses is the development of political philosophy from the rule of absolute monarchs (16th - 18th centuries) to the attempts to found modern republican governments during the Age of Revolution (1775 - 1850).  The courses will also investigate the development of the concept of universal human rights.  Finally, it will explore the beginnings of the modern fields of psychology, sociology, and cultural anthropology. 


     I.     Introduction to Philosophy

     II.    Overview of historical eras

     III.   The Two Millennia Influence of Plato and Aristotle 

     IV.   16th Century Philosophy