PHIL 302
HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY

INTRODUCTION

This survey of modern philosophy describes the period from Descartes (1596-1650) through Kant (1724-1804) and is meant as a sequel to Philosophy 301. For those who have not completed Philosophy 301, however, this course may serve as an independent introduction to philosophy, since the occasional references to Philosophy 301 can be ignored.

As a student, you can hope to receive two things from the course: First you can hope to acquire a conception of what philosophy is. This conception, if acquired, will not be acquired by rote but will be derived from a study of what some important philosophers have written. Second, you can hope to acquire a familiarity with the chief masterpieces of 17th and 18th century philosophy. By studying your intellectual forebears, you discover where your own ideas come from, what their limitations are, and where better ideas may be found. In short, this course will teach you something about the culture in which you live, for the ideas expressed by the philosophers that you will study have done much to mold this culture.

This course offers three (3) hours of academic credit.

MID-COURSE TEST AND FINAL EXAMINATION

The student will take a Mid-Course Test and Final Examination at a physical location in a college or university setting. Detailed instructions and Mid-Course Test and Final Examination applications are included in the online syllabus. Information regarding tests and procedures can be found in General Information.

INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Michael Harrington, the chair of philosophy and religion, is a professor of philosophy and religion. He received his B.A. from Davidson College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Emory University.

TEXTBOOKS

The Ole Miss Bookstore currently stocks the textbooks needed for Independent Study courses. Click here to order textbooks online. Select the term, department, and course number. Select “I Study” for the section number. To order by phone, call 662-915-7137 and be sure to indicate that you are ordering textbooks for an Independent Study course.

To apply for the course, go here.

If you need assistance or have additional questions please email us at indstudy@olemiss.edu.