Kant
Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) is arguably the most important figure in the history of modern western philosophy. His work in philosophy, like Beethoven’s in music, makes both a summation of the past and a transition to the future of his field. Kant’s work ranges over all of the major areas of philosophy—epistemology, metaphysics, ethics and aesthetics. This course will concentrate on a careful reading of his magnum opus, The Critique of Pure Reason, but we shall also discuss his view of morality, and we’ll consider some of the modern critical literature on Kant. (Designed for junior and senior majors; open to others by waiver.)