Enlightenment and Modern Philosophy

Enlightenment and Modern Philosophy include the writings of those philosopher from the beginning of the Enlightenment period and into modern times. Select books from Enlightenment era philosophers include those of Hume, Kant, and Thomas Pain, as well as the pre-Enlightenment philosophers Decartes and John Locke. The modern period of philosophy begins in the 19th century, and includes Hegel, August Comte, and Alfred North Whitehead.

Rene Descartes - Meditations

This book contains Rene Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy and Principles of Philosophy. It also includes an excellent essay on Descartes.

John Locke - An Essay Concerning Human Understanding

John Locke's work An Essay Concerning Human Understanding lays the foundation for empiricism in modern philosophy, and was a major influence on Hume and other Enlightenment Era philosophers.

Hume - A Treatise of Human Nature

Considered by many to be Hume's most important work, A Treatise of Human Nature is divided into three books (all of them in this text), the first on Understanding (the origin of ideas and reason), the second on Passions (that is, emotions), and the third part on ethics and morality.

Kant - Critique of Pure Reason volume 1

In the Critique of Pure Reason, Immanuel Kant explores the limits of knowledge and the mechanism of reason. He opposes the skepticism of Hume in favor of more rationalistic approach, and works to form a compromise between rationalism and empiricism.

Kant - Critique of Pure Reason volume 2

The second volume of Critique of Pure Reason.

Thomas Paine - Age of Reason

Thomas Paine, one of America's Founding Fathers, wrote the Age of Reason as a criticism against so-called revealed religions. This work also lays down the essential views of Deism, the naturalistic (and highly scientific for the time) religion of many other freethinkers of his day.

Hegel - Philosophy of Mind

The Philosophy of Mind (also known as the Phenomenology of Mind), is Hagel's examination of the phenomenon of consciousness, and covers the subjects of reason, ethics, spirituality, and religion.

Comte - Positive Philosophy volume 1

Auguste Comte's Positive Philosophy is an extensive exposition on the subject of sociology, ethics, and philosophy, with a strong emphasis on reason and the scientific method. Comte asserts that the only true knowledge we can have is scientific knowledge. He also advocates the creation of new secular religion of humanity.

Comte - Positive Philosophy volume 2

The second volume of Positive Philosophy.

Comte - Positive Philosophy volume 3

The third volume of Positive Philosophy.

Henry David Thoreau - Civil Disobedience

Henry David Thoreau Civil Disobedience was a ground breaking work encouraging citizens of all nations to right the wrongs of oppressive or unjust governments. While not formally philosophical, it is an influential essay that has helped shape the modern civil rights movement.

Alfred North Whitehead's Philosophy of Orgnanism

This book, by Dorothy Emmet, is an excellent introduction to the philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead.

Alfred North Whitehead - Enquiry Concerning Natural Knowledge

Alfred North Whitehead's Enquiry Concerning Natural Knowledge is a comprehensive philosophical study of nature, science, and physics after the monumental paradigm shift brought on by the Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.