Early Modern Philosophy: Descartes and the Rationalists

From the 17th to 18th centuries, bold thinkers cast off the authority of ancient traditions and embraced reason as the primary tool for understanding the world. These rationalists, or early modern philosophers, included René Descartes, Baruch Spinoza, and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz—visionaries whose answers to profound questions remain relevant today.

Early Modern Philosophy: Descartes and the Rationalists covers the key philosophers of this period in 12 fascinating half-hour lectures, presented by award-winning teacher James D. Reid, Professor of Philosophy at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

The rationalists addressed momentous questions such as: What can we know for certain? Are we truly free? Is there a God or a higher power? In addition to Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz, this course also covers Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia, Lady Anne Conway, and Nicolas Malebranche, who each contributed unique perspectives on mind-body interaction, the nature of substance, and the role of God in human understanding.

It is no accident that early modern philosophy developed in tandem with the Scientific Revolution, spearheaded by Kepler and Galileo, among others. Together, the two movements laid the foundation for a fully modern world, guided by reason, systematic inquiry, empirical evidence, and a growing secular view of the universe that emphasizes human autonomy. As a result, taking this course is like witnessing the birth of the modern mind.

Professor Reid shows how the rationalists serve as a bridge between the Scholasticism of the late Middle Ages and philosophers of the 18th-century Enlightenment, including David Hume, Immanuel Kant, John Locke, and Voltaire. Their influence also extends to 19th and 20th centuries, with Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, and other renowned thinkers.