This Is Modern Philosophy: An Introduction

Is there a world that exists apart from ourselves? If an external world exists, what is its nature?

Can an external world based on evidence from our sense perception be known? How do such questions arise? Is it even possible for them to be answered? This is Modern Philosophy: An Introduction surveys how philosophers from the late sixteenth century to the early nineteenth century investigated central metaphysical and epistemological issues.

Focusing on six key philosophers, this accessible volume provides readers with a solid and balanced appreciation of how philosophy was done in the Modern period. Each chapter explores the views of a particular thinker—René Descartes, Thomas Hobbes, George Berkeley, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, and Lady Mary Shepherd—with special attention paid to their engagement with ‘The Problem of the External World.’ Throughout the book, readers are invited to consider related philosophical problems and doctrines, such as transcendental idealism, mind-body dualism, and skepticism.

• Introduces a range of philosophical concepts, including materialism, idealism, rationalism, and empiricism
• Discusses how the philosophical views from each of the philosophers covered are similar and different
• Addresses the views of other important thinkers such as John Locke and Adam Smith
• Features an epilogue that helps readers locate other important philosophers from different historical periods
• Provides links to high-quality online editions and translations of primary texts that are freely available to students

Part of Wiley-Blackwell’s popular This Is Philosophy series, This is Modern Philosophy: An Introduction is an invaluable resource for undergraduate students in Early Modern philosophy courses, graduate philosophy students looking to refresh their knowledge, and general readers looking for an easy-to-read introduction to the subject.