In this course, students will explore Western philosophical thought from the “early-modern period” (ca 1600 to ca. 1800)through study of selections from Kant, Déscartes, Berkeley, Hume, and others. The main objective of this course is look closely at a few challenging yet accessible works of major philosophers and apply these to a range of fundamental topics. Concepts such as truth and meaning, identity, dualism, and formal ethics will be examined, discussed, and applied in the contexts of analytic reasoning, logic, effective use of language, and understanding the views and influences of some important philosophers. This course will offer students an enriched perspective of an often overlooked but elemental aspect of our Western culture. Another important goal is to address the absence of a course that provides an introduction to philosophical thought.  While this is not explicitly mentioned as a content standard, it fits well with many of our other curricular requirements, and has been frequently requested by students. Introduction to Philosophy is distinct from a humanities class in that this course is grounded in the study and application of philosophical literature, especially primary texts. Readings in philosophy meet many of the implicit and explicit goals of the English curriculum, and providing a framework for students’ understanding that all their coursework takes place in a larger world of interrelated and accessible ideas. As a potential complement to a more broad history of philosophy course, or a deeper course pursuing other issues,Introduction to Philosophy focuses on a specific pivotal period (ca.1600 – ca. 1800) which forms a bridge between the so-called Ancients (Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, and others) and contemporary philosophers. This Early-Modern period is considered to begin following the Renaissance and the during the genesis of modern physical science. As time allows, it may be possible for the teacher to weave in a unit from the Late-Modern period (1800 – 1960) incorporating other important philosophers such as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche or others. The intent of this approach is not to deliberately create an historical approach to problems in philosphy. Rather it is a tactical desicion meant to find an accessible point of entry to the on-going project of philosophy, and engage specific elements of that project

Students willl:

· Improve reading skills through the reading of complex expository, rather than   narrative material;

· Develop effective writing skills through practice in breaking concepts into component parts, demonstrating  clear reasoning, and  finally encapsulating  the essence of difficult concepts  (analysis, synthesis and evaluation);

·  Improve verbal communication skills and ability to state why they believe  or think something;

· Improve standardized test scores through experience with verbal logic;

· Apply critical thinking to their daily lives as well as their academic work; and,

· Explicitly learn about various fundamental approaches to essential problems in philosophy and their relations to daily life.