For anyone in search of the philosophers who influenced one of the richest moments in Western intellectual history, this inclusive reader is the place to start. Early Modern Philosophy showcases an unrivalled range of thinkers. Through them, you are introduced to a selection of their texts that return important philosophical ideas and debates to our understanding of modern philosophy. Addressing a one-sided view of intellectual history that has persisted for centuries, this reader goes beyond the usual focus on rationalism and empiricism with readings organised into three parts:
- Dualistic theories of human nature as the union of a mind and a body
- Debates concerning social relations and education
- The nature of reality and the way in which the mind reveals or constructs our understanding of the world
The thematic approach puts women philosophers and understudied figures in direct conversation with canonical thinkers. Extracts from primary sources are accompanied by biographical details, questions for reflection, further reading and summaries that place philosophers in their historical contexts.
Edited by:
Jonathan Head (Keele University UK),
John Grey (Michigan State University,
USA)
Imprint: Bloomsbury Academic
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9781350269552
ISBN 10: 1350269557
Pages: 392
Publication Date: 26 December 2024
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Introduction Part I: Understanding Human Nature 1. Human as Mind-Body Union: René Descartes, Henry More, and Anton Wilhelm Amo 1a. Dualism in Descartes’ Meditations 1b. Dualism in More’s Immortality of the Soul 1c. Dualism in Amo’s Dissertation 2. The Mind-Body Problem: René Descartes and Elisabeth of Bohemia 2a. Princess Elisabeth and the Problem of Interaction 2b. Descartes’ Response 3. Idealist Responses: Anne Conway and Gottfried Leibniz 3a. Conway’s Spiritual Monism 3b. Leibniz’s System of Monads 4. Materialist Responses: Thomas Hobbes and Margaret Cavendish 4a. Hobbes on Freedom and Matter 4b. Cavendish’s Materialism and the Question of Living Matter Part II: Sociability and Education 5. The Nature of Love: John Norris, Mary Astell and Damaris Masham 5a. Norris and Astell on Love of God 5b. Masham’s Critique of Norris and Astell 6. The Nature of Morality: John Locke and Catharine Trotter Cockburn 6a. Locke on the Source of Moral Knowledge 6b. Cockburn on God and Morality 7. The Nature of Education: Anna van Schurman and Mary Astell 7a. Reason, Women and Education in Schurman’s Thought 7b. Astell on Education and the Use of Reason 8. The Nature of Sympathy: Sophie de Grouchy and David Hume 8a. Grouchy on Reason and Sympathy 8b. Hume’s Account of Morality and Sympathy Part III: Mind and Reality 9. God and World: George Berkeley and Baruch Spinoza 9a. Berkeley’s Master Argument 9b. Spinoza on God and Nature 10. The Nature of Space: Samuel Clarke and Émilie du Châtelet 10a. The Leibniz-Clarke Correspondence 10b. Du Chatelet’s Metaphysics 11. The Nature of Causation: David Hume and Thomas Reid 11a. Hume on our Idea of Causation 11b. Reid’s Critique of Hume 12. A Transcendental Approach: Mary Shepherd and Immanuel Kant 12a. Shepherd on Reason and Ideas 12b. Kant on Appearance and Reality Conclusion: Approaches to an Inclusive Early Modern Philosophy Glossary of Key Terms Annotated Bibliography Index
John Grey is Teaching Professor in Philosophy at Michigan State University, USA. Jonathan Head is Lecturer in Philosophy at Keele University, UK.
Reviews for Early Modern Philosophy: An Inclusive Introduction with Readings
Early Modern Philosophy offers a rich and impressive introduction to its period, putting a diverse array of philosophers and their primary texts into conversation. The accompanying explanations are straightforward and insightful - to scholars and students alike, this book will be a boon. -- Emily Thomas * Professor of Philosophy, Durham University, UK * This reader offers a truly impressive array of material: it incorporates both male and female thinkers, it’s diverse in terms of its ideas and themes, and innovative in terms of its approach. It will be essential for anyone looking for a genuinely expansive introduction to early modern philosophy. -- Jacqueline Broad * Professor of Philosophy, Monash University, Australia *
