Drawing on classic texts by the great philosophers of the ancient and early modern period, the unit examines the nature of reason and the passions, the relation between chance and necessity, the meaning of life and death, the problem of evil, and the basis of hope for the future. The philosophers we study include a selection from the following: Plato, Aristotle, the Stoics, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Hume and Kant. We examine the influence these philosophers have had on contemporary thought, and we consider the challenges their ideas present to the modern world. -- Course Website
Instructor: Professor Nicholas Smith
Prerequisites: 12cp or admission to GDipArtsÂ
