PHIL 13.02 British Empiricism

The Empiricists believed that concepts and knowledge are sourced exclusively in the senses. This position found its most detailed presentation in John Locke (1632-1704), George Berkeley (1685-1753), and David Hume (1711-1776). It led to a picture of the mind, how it relates to the world, and how this leads to knowledge that is still influential today. This course develops that picture, with an eye to the philosophical context in which it came about and its influence on subsequent generations. In addition to Locke, Berkeley, and Hume, other (mainly British) writers considered might include Thomas Hobbes, Margaret Cavendish, Anne Conway, Catharine Cockburn, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, Damaris Masham, Frances Hutcheson, Thomas Reid, and Mary Shepard.

Prerequisite

One Philosophy course, or permission of the instructor.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:TMV; WCult:W

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