Modern European Philosophers

A comprehensive yet accessible account of the major figures and movements of modern European philosophy

Modern European Philosophers explores the great Western thinkers of the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. Author Wayne Pomerleau presents a thorough historical treatment of the key ideas and arguments of twenty-one influential philosophers such as René Descartes, John Locke, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, Søren Kierkegaard, and Friedrich Nietzsche.

Balancing depth and accessibility, topically organized chapters examine the work of a particular philosopher concerning epistemology, reality, the divine, human nature, freedom versus determinism, ethical theory, and various issues of society. Each chapter includes a brief topic overview and summary, biographical background, textual references, and direct quotations from primary sources.

• Examines early modern rationalism, early modern empiricism, German idealism, and anti-idealist alternatives
• Covers Rousseau, Hobbes, Leibniz, Schopenhauer, Hume, Hegel, Marx, and other major European thinkers
• Contains an introductory chapter with background information on ancient philosophy, medieval philosophy, and renaissance thinkers
• Includes integrated coverage of nine women philosophers of modern Europe to illustrate alternative perspectives

Modern European Philosophers is an excellent primary or supplementary text for undergraduate and graduate courses on the history of modern philosophy and a useful resource for general readers looking to learn about the modern Western intellectual tradition.