Bücher der Reihe A History of Western Philosophy

This is an accessible introduction to the often difficult authors of modern Continental European philosophy from the Enlightenment onward. A central theme is the development of theories of the Self - the transcendental self, human nature, the human acting through will, and God himself.

The Renaissance is seen as a brilliant moment in the development of Western civilization. However, relatively little attention has been devoted to the contributions of philosophy to Renaissance culture. This volume includes coverage of Marsilio Ficino, Justus Lipsius, Erasmus and Machiavelli.

Focusing on Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz, the author examines their attitudes to major philosophical problems still relevant today and aims to show how their ideas relate, despite their different systems.

The Middle Ages span a period of well over a millennium. This text steers a path through this long period, and gives an insight into medieval views on aspects such as astronomy, materialism, perception and the nature of the soul.