Topics in Early Modern Philosophy

Course goals

The intended purpose of this Topics Seminar is for the participating student  (1) to become familiar with positions taken in the current debates over the specific topic area of the course; (2) to appreciate the arguments for and against the positions; and (3) to develop an independent judgment about the most promising approach in this area.  Specifically the course aims to provide:
 
* a general overview over key thinkers and themes from the early modern period (16th – 18th centuries);
* an advanced understanding of the topic as developed and discussed by philosophers from this period; and
* a contextualization of the philosophical discussions of this period.
    
 

Content

This “Topics Seminar” explores in depth various texts related to a topic in the philosophy of the early modern period. 


Topics in Early Modern Philosophy 2026-2027: ‘In God and in Nature: the theological-political problem’

Secularization sounds straightforward: it denotes a decline in the authority of revelation and of religious practice more broadly. While the term ‘secularization’ is a relatively recent one – a notion coined in mid-nineteenth century England – the discussions that surround it are not. Contemporary ‘secularization debates’ have a rich and diverse historical heritage, one that finds its expression particularly in the early modern period where arguments over the relation between religion and philosophy stood at the forefront of intellectual and societal debate. 
This course examines the so-called ‘theological-political problem’ in early modern philosophy: the confrontation between 'reason' and its counterpart 'revelation' and the various epistemological, ethical and political ramifications it entails. It examines how quintessential ‘modern’ innovatores like Bacon, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Spinoza, Pascal, and Hume–as well as some of their lesser known contemporaries (e.g. the Dutchmen Lambertus Van Velthuysen, Piet Balling, Jarig Jelles and Bernard Mandeville) – all struggled with the question of how to vindicate God and Religion within the framework of a ‘new’ natural world. Spinoza's Theological-Political Treatise will form the backbone of our study.
Central topics include: the debated nature of Scripture, prophecy, and prophets; the relation between theology and philosophy; the societal (ab)uses of religion; the question of toleration within pluralist societies; religion and the nature of political power; being in God and being in Nature.
Note: an important assumption of this course is that despite enormous technological and sociological changes, there are enduring ‘theologico-political’ problems; this assumption means that we will read and discuss historical texts from the early modern period not just to understand where we are coming from, but also as a guide to reflect on recurrent philosophical challenges.

This course is for students in the RMA Philosophy programme; students from other M.A. programmes (such as History & Philosophy of Science or Applied Ethics),  should check with the course coordinator or the RMA Philosophy coordinator (n.miltenburg@uu.nl), before enrolling, to ensure that they have the requisite philosophical background.
The entrance requirements for Exchange Students will be checked by International Office and the Programme coördinator. Therefore, you do not have to contact the Programme coördinator yourself.

Additional information

As of August, please check Blackboard regularly for more information concerning your course(s).

Counts towards the fulfillment of the “Topics Seminar” requirement for RMA Philosophy students.