Descartes and the rise of modern philosophy
Background to Descartes' Meditations
Descartes' innovations in how philosophy is written
Lead-in to the first meditation
The first meditation
The second meditation
The third meditation
The fourth meditation
The fifth meditation
The sixth meditation
A summary of Cartesian commitments
Topical highlights from Descartes' correspondence
Questions about Descartes
Transition to the remainder of the book
Spinoza
Overview of Spinozas' philosophy and life
Ethics part I : on the nature of the universe
Ethics part II : on the nature and origin of the mind
Ethics part III : on the nature and origin of actions and passions
Ethics part IV : on the burdens of human existence and the ways to overcome them
Ethics part V : on the power of reason to liberate us to live blessedly
Questions about Spinoza
Locke
An overview of Lockes' outlook in the Essay
Essay book I : Lockes' anti-innatist strategy
Essay book II : perception as the basis for all thinking
Test case one : thinking about power
Test case two : thinking about substance
Test case three : thinking about identity
Essay book III : expressing thought in language
Essay book IV : knowledge and opinion
Questions about Locke
Leibniz
Background to Leibnizs' philosophy
Overview of Leibnizs' philosophy
How the Discourse on metaphysics and the Monadology are structured
Understanding Leibnizs' metaphysics by way of his defense of contingency
Understanding the debate about what things for Leibniz are substances
Understanding the debate about Leibnizs' essentialism
Understanding what it means for the world to be the best possible
Understanding debates about relations among key Leibnizian theses
Space and time as relations among phenomena
Key elements of Leibnizs' epistemology
Questions about Leibniz


Berkeley
Overview of approach to the Principles
Structure of the Principles
A fuller analysis of four key arguments
Structure of the Three dialogues
A mini-glossary to aid interpretation
Questions about Berkeley
Hume
Main alternatives for interpreting Hume
An outline of the first Enquiry
Enquiry sections I-III : basic principles and materials of the understanding
Enquiry sections IV-VII : the basis for all factual thinking
Enquiry section VIII : implications for freedom and morality
Enquiry section X : implications for religion based on miracles
Treatise : overview and key elements of book I, on the understanding
Treatise : key elements of book II, on the passions
Treatise : key elements of book III, on morality
Dialogues : overview and stage-setting part I
Dialogues parts II-VIII : design argument for natural religion
Dialogues part IX : cosmological, a priori proof of theism
Dialogues parts X-XI : evil as challenge to theism
Dialogues part XII : guides to deciding Hume's overall message
Questions about Hume


Kant
The central strand of Kant's argument
A précis of the Critique of pure reason
Prefaces and introduction : clarifying the project
Transcendental aesthetic : how we receive data
Transcendental analytic : how we understand data
Transcendental dialectic : how we fundamentally misapply thought
Exploration of pivotal stages of Kant's argument
My general orientation to the Critique
A fuller analysis of introductory material
A fuller analysis of the Aesthetic
A fuller analysis of the Analytic of concepts
A fuller analysis of the Analytic of principles
The transition from the Analytic to the Dialectic
A fuller analysis of the Transcendental dialectic
The transition from theoretical to practical philosophy
The philosophical foundations for moral theory
Kant on philosophical method
The Prolegomena's relation to the Critique
Questions about Kant.

Descartes and the rise of modern philosophy
Background to Descartes' meditations
Descartes' innovations in how philosophy is written
Lead-in to the first meditation
The first meditation
The second meditation
The third meditation
The fourth meditation
The fifth meditation
The sixth meditation
A a summary of Cartesian commitments
Topical highlights from Descartes' correspondence
Questions about descartes
Transition to the remainder of the book
Spinoza
Overview of Spinozas' philosophy and life
Ethics part I : on the nature of the universe
Ethics part II : on the nature and origin of the mind
Ethics part III : on the nature and origin of actions and passions
Ethics part IV : on the burdens of human existence and the ways to overcome them
Ehics part V : on the power of reason to liberate us to live blessedly
Questions about Spinoza
Locke
An overview of Lockes' outlook in the essay
Essay book I : Lockes' anti-innatist strategy
Essay book II : perception as the basis for all thinking
Test case one : thinking about power
Test case two : thinking about substance
Test case three : thinking about identity
Essay book III : expressing thought in language
Essay book IV : knowledge and opinion
Questions about Locke
Leibniz
Background to Leibnizs' philosophy
Overview of Leibnizs' philosophy
How the discourse on metaphysics and the monadology are structured
Understanding Leibnizs' metaphysics by way of his defense of contingency
Understanding the debate about what things for Leibniz are substances
Understanding the debate about Leibnizs' essentialism
Understanding what it means for the world to be the best possible
Understanding debates about relations among key Leibnizian theses
Space and time as relations among phenomena
Key elements of Leibnizs' epistemology
Questions about Leibniz
Berkeley
Overview of approach to the principles
Structure of the principles
Fuller analysis of four key arguments
Structure of the three dialogues
A mini-glossary to aid interpretation
Questions about Berkeley
Hume
Main alternatives for interpreting Hume
An outline of the first enquiry
Enquiry sections I-III : basic principles and materials of the understanding
Enquiry sections IV-VII : the basis for all factual thinking
Enquiry section VIII : implications for freedom and morality
Enquiry section X : implications for religion based on miracles
Treatise : overview and key elements of book I, on the understanding
Treatise : key elements of book II, on the passions
Treatise : key elements of book III, on morality
Dialogues : overview and stage-setting part I
Dialogues parts II-VIII : design argument for natural religion
Dialogues part IX : cosmological, a priori proof of theism
Dialogues parts X-XI : evil as challenge to theism
Dialogues part XII : guides to deciding Humes' overall message
Questions about Hume
Kant
The central strand of Kants' argument
A précis of the critique of pure reason
Prefaces and introduction : clarifying the project
Transcendental aesthetic : how we receive data
Transcendental analytic : how we understand data
Transcendental dialectic : how we fundamentally misapply thought
Exploration of pivotal stages of Kants' argument
My general orientation to the critique
A fuller analysis of introductory material
A fuller analysis of the aesthetic
A fuller analysis of the analytic of concepts
A fuller analysis of the analytic of principles
The transition from the analytic to the dialectic
A fuller analysis of the transcendental dialectic
The transition from theoretical to practical philosophy
The philosophical foundations for moral theory
Kant on philosophical method
The prolegomenas relation to the critique
Questions about Kant.