PHIL 205 - 19th Century European Philosophy

Semester Offered: Spring
1 unit(s)

The 19th century was a revolutionary one in the history of European Philosophy. We start by learning about G.W.F. Hegel’s “absolute idealism” before studying three different critical responses to Hegel’s project: Seren Kierkegaard’s, Friedrich Nietzsche’s, and Karl Marx’s. Through Kierkegaard, we focus on the category of “the individual;” through Nietzsche, on philosophy’s relationship to history; and through Marx, on philosophy’s tasks in oppressive social orders. These themes and figures introduce you to the debates that helped generate 20*-century philosophy. Throughout, we pay attention to the transformations these authors propose for how we should do philosophy. Benjamin Randolph.

Two 75-minute periods.

Course Format: CLS