PHIL 2120 - History of Western Philosophy: Modern

• Students will be able to state, elaborate on, and critically react to major arguments and theories advanced by European philosophers in the 17th and 18th centuries.
• Students will be able to use scholarly methods and resources (both digital and in print) to conduct a comprehensive analysis of philosophical views of 17th & 18th centuries, where the analysis includes the refinement & synthesis of the views considered.
• Students will be able to systematically identify and analyze the important assumptions, concepts, principles, and contextual factors informing major theories and arguments advanced by 17th and 18th century European philosophers.
• Students will be able to articulate their own philosophical positions–particularly in epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics–where the position is nuanced, appropriately complex, sensitive to different perspectives, and appropriately qualified.
• Students will be able to state (both orally and in writing) well-defined conclusions of both an interpretive and normative nature and use the tools of logic to present deductive and inductive arguments in support of these conclusions.
• Students will be able to use correctly the fundamental terms, concepts, and theories, crucial to reading, comprehending, and explaining influential philosophical texts authored by European thinkers in the 17th and 18th centuries.
• Students will be able to use the tools of logic to analyze, interpret, and evaluate influential texts in the history of 17th and 18th century European philosophy.