HIST 603 - The European Enlightenment

3 hours
A comparative study of leading thinkers from Locke to Rousseau, including Descartes, Locke, Edwards, Kant, Smith, Hume, Rousseau, and Wesley. The modern synthesis of empiricism, secularism, humanism, and rationalism as a unique cultural development will be analyzed and critiqued. Students will be assigned passages or segments from these major writers on key themes, and class activities will focus on discussion, analysis, and historical context. Research paper on a related theme is required, and may contribute to thesis research. GR