​MODERN PHILOSOPHY ARCHIVES

The texts on this page begin with the Renaissance thought of Machiavelli in the 15th century and end at the beginning of the 19th century.  The difficulty level of each text provided below is identified by the following codes:  B [Beginner]: appropriate for those with no background in philosophy; I [Intermediate]:  requires a minimal background in philosophy or the history of ideas; A [Advanced]: most suitable for those with some background in philosophy.

FRANCIS BACON

Primary Sources

Francis Bacon, "The Method of Induction"  [The New Organon]  [I]
Francis Bacon, "The Four Idols  [The New Organon]  [B]
Francis Bacon, "Native Fallacies of Human Thought"  [The New Organon]  [I]
Francis Bacon. "On the Interpretation of Nature  [The New Organon]  [B]

Secondary Sources

Alfred Weber, "The Philosophy of Francis Bacon"  [History of Philosophy]  [B]

GIORDANO BRUNO

Secondary Sources

Richard Pogge, "The Folly of Giordano Bruno"   [B]
William Turner, "Giordano Bruno"  [B]
TL. Williams, "The Life of Giordano Bruno"  [B]

GEORGE BERKELEY

Primary Sources

George Berkeley, "Three Dialogues Between Hylas and Philonous"  [complete]  [I]
George Berkeley. Mind and Reality   [Principles of Human Knowl.]  [I]
George Berkeley, "Idealism and the Existence of God"  [Dialogues]  [I]

Secondary Sources

Alfred Benn, "Berkeley"  [History of Modern Phil.]  [B]
Bertrand Russell, "Berkeley and Idealism"  [Problems of Philosophy]  [I]

JEREMY BENTHAM

Primary Sources

Jeremy Bentham, "Utility and Pleasure"  [Principles of Morals and Leg.]  [I]

JOSEPH BUTLER

Primary Sources

Joseph Butler, "Of a Future Life"  [The Analogy of Religion]   [I]
Joseph Butler, "Of Personal Identity"  [The Analogy of Religion]  [I]
A Joseph Butler, "A Dissertation Upon the Nature of Virtue"  [The Analogy of Religion]   [B]

PAUL HENRI D'HOLBACH

Primary Sources

Paul Henry d'Holbach, "Rejection of the Soul's Immortality" [The System of Nature]  [I]
Paul Henri d'Holbach, "The Case for Determinism [The System of Nature]  [I]
Paul Henry d'Holbach, "The Origins of Man's Ideas of God"  [The System of Nature]  [I]

RENÉ DESCARTES

Primary Sources

Rene Descartes, Discourse on Method  [complete]  [I]
Rene Descartes, Meditations on First Philosophy  [complete]     [I]
Rene Descartes, "Of Doubt and Certainty" [Meditations 1-2]  [I]
Rene Descartes, "On the Existence of God"  [Meditations 3]  [I]
Rene Descartes, "The Real Distinction Body and Mind"  [Meditations 6]  [I]
Rene Descartes, Rules for the Direction of the Mind [complete]  [I]

Secondary Sources

Margaret W. Kehr, "The Doctrine of Self in Augustine and Descartes"  [I]
Richard Falckenberg, "The Philosophy of Descartes" [History of Mod. Phil.] [I]
Miguel de Unamuno, "Critique of Cartesian Rationalism"  [The Tragic Sense of Life]  [I]
Alfred Weber, "The Philosophy of Descartes"  [History of Philosophy]  [B]

WILLIAM GODWIN

Primary Sources

William Godwin, "The Archbishop and the Chambermaid"  [Enquiry]  [B]

THOMAS HOBBES

Primary Sources

Thomas Hobbes, "Of Man"  [Leviathan] [I]
Thomas Hobbes, "The State of Nature" [Leviathan]  [B]
Thomas Hobbes, "Of the State of Men Without Civil Society" [De Cive]  [B]
Thomas Hobbes, "Of Religion"  [Leviathan] [B]

DAVID HUME

Primary Sources

David Hume, "Of Miracles" [Enquiry Conc. Human Undersst.]  [B]
David Hume "Of Liberty and Necessity'  [Enquiry Conc. Human Underst.]  [I]
David Hume, "Miracles" (edited)  [B]
David Hume, "On the Argument from Design" [Dial. Conc. Nat. Religion]  [I]
David Hume, "Evil and the Existence of God"  [Dial. Conc. Nat. Religion]  [I]
David Hume, Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion [complete]  [I]
David Hume, "Skeptical Doubt Concerning Understanding"  [Enquiry]  [A]
David Hume, "Of Skepticism With Regard to the Senses   [Treatise of Human Nat.]  [A]
Of Virtue and Vice in General  [Treatise of Human Nature]     [B]
David Hume, "Justice and Property"  [Treatise of Human Nature] [B]
David Hume, "Of Cause and Effect"  [Treatise of Human Nature]  [I]
David Hume "Moral Distinctions Not Derived from Reason [Treatise of Human Nat.]  [I]
David Hume, "Of Personal Identity" [Treatise of Human Nature]  [A]
David Hume, "On Suicide"  [B]
David Hume, "On the Immortality of the Soul"  [I]
David Hume, "The Origin of Natural Virtues and Vice"  [B]
David Hume, "On Self-Love" [Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals]    [B]

Secondary Sources

Alfred Benn, "Hume"  [History of Modern Philosophy]  [B]
Alfred Weber, "The Philosophy of David Hume"  [History of Philosophy]  [B]

IMMANUEL KANT

Primary Sources

Immanuel Kant, "Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics" [selections]  [A]
Immanuela Kant, "Foundation of the Metaphysics of Morals" [selections]  [I]
Immanuel Kant, "Defense of Human Freedom" [Metaphysics of Morals]  [I]
Immanuel Kant, "On the Supposed Right to Lie From Benevolent Motives" [Cr. of Pr. Reason]"  [B]
Immanuel Kant. "A Priori and A Posteriori Knowledge" [Cr. of Pure Reason]  [A]
Immanuel Kant, "The Synthetic Unity of Apperception"  [Cr. of Pure Reason]  [A]
Immanuel Kant, "On the Ontological Argument" [Cr. of Pure Reason]  [A]
Immanuel Kant, "On the  Cosmological Argument" [Cr. of Pure Reason]  [A]
AImmanuel Kant, "Analytic of the Beautiful  [Cr. of Judgment]  [I]
Immanuel Kant, "Judgments of Taste" [Cr. of Judgment]  [I] 
Immanuel Kant, "The Right of Punishing" [Science of Right]     [I]
Immanuel Kant, "What is Enlightenment?"  [B]
Immanuel Kant, "Education"  [B]

Secondary Sources

Ernest Bax, "Kant and His Position in Philosophy"  [B]
Richard Falckenberg, "The Philosophy of Kant"  [History of Modern Philosophy]  [I]
Bertrand Russell, "Kant and A Priori Knowledge" [Problems of Philosophy] [I]
Alfred Weber, "The Philosophy of Immanuel Kant"  [History of Phil.]  [B]

GOTTFRIED LEIBNIZ

Primary Sources

Gottfried Leibniz, Monadology [complete] [A]
Gottfried Leibniz, "On the Perfection of the Universe"  [Disc. on Metaphysics]  [I]
Gottfried Leibniz, "Solving the Problem of Evil"  [Theodicy]  [I]

Secondary Sources

Alfred Benn, "Leibniz"  [History of Modern Phil.] [B]
Richard Falckenberg, "The Philosophy of Leibniz" [History of Modern Phil.]     [I]
Alfred Weber, "he Philosophy of Leibniz"  [History of Phil.] [B]

JOHN LOCKE

Primary Sources

John Locke, "Of Human Knowledge"  [Essay Conc. Human Underst.] [I]
John Locke, "Knowledge of Other Things"  [Essay. Conc. Human Underst.] [A]
John Locke "On Human Identity' [Essay Conc. Human Underst.]  [A]
John Locke.  "Mind as White Paper"   [Essay Conc. Human Underst.]  [I]
John Locke, "Second Treatise of Government"  [B]
John Locke, "Some Thoughts Concerning Education" [B]

Secondary Sources

Richard Falckenberg, "The Philosophy of John Locke" [History of Modern Phil.]  [I]
Alfred Weber, "The Philosophy of John Locke"  [History of Phil.]  [B]
George Santayana, "Locke and the Frontiers of Common Sense [Turns in Mod. Phil]  [I]

NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI

Primary Sources

Niccolo Machiavelli, "The Prince" [selections]  [B]

MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE

Primary Sources

Michel de Montaigne, "Of Idleness"  [Essays]  [B]
Michel de Montaigne, "Of Liars"  [Essays]  [B]
Michel de Montaigne, "Apology for Raimond Sebond"  [Essays] [B]

THOMAS REID

Primary Sources

Thomas Reid, "Of Identity"  [Intellectual Powers of Man]  [I]

JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU

Primary Sources

Jean Jacques Rousseau, "On Suicide"  [B]
Jean Jacques Rousseau, "Study Guide: Emile [Book 1]  [B]
Jean Jacques Rousseau, "Study Guide: Emile"  [Book 2] [B]
Jean Jacques Rousseau, "The Social Contract [complete]  [I]

BARUCH SPINOZA

Primary Sources

Baruch Spinoza, "Concerning God" [Ethics 1]  [A]
Baruch Spinoza, "Of the Nature and Origin of the Mind"  [Ethics 2]  [A]
Baruch Spinoza, "The Relation of Body and Mind" [Ethics 2, 5]  [I]
Baruch Spinoza, "On Superstition"  [Tractatus Logico-Politicus, Preface]  [B]
Baruch Spinoza, "Foundation of the State"  [Tractatus Theologico-Politicus 16]  [B]
Baruch Spinoza, "Of Natural Right"  [Political Treatise 2]  [B]

Secondary Sources

Richard Falckenberg, "The Philosophy of Spinoza"  [History of Modern Philosophy]  [I]
Joseph Ratner, "The Life of Spinoza"  [The Philosophy of Spinoza]  [I]
Joseph Ratner, "Introduction to the Philosophy of Spinoza"  [The Phil. of Spinoza]  [I]
Alfred Weber, "The Philosophy of Spinoza"  [History of Philosophy]  [B]

VOLTAIRE

Primary Sources

Voltaire, "Character"  [Philosophical Dictionary]  [B]
Voltaire, "Self-Love"  [Philosophical Dictionary]  [B]
Voltaire, "Faith"  [Philosophical Dictionary]  [B]
Voltaire, "Identity"  [Philosophical Dictionary]  [B]
Voltaire, "Imagination"  [Philosophical Dictionary] [B]
Voltaire, "Love'  [Philosophical Dictionary]  [B]

MISCELLEANEOUS TEXTS

Primary Sources

Jonathan Edwards, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"  [B]
A Benjamin Franklin, "A Program for Moral Improvement  [Autobiography]  [B]

Secondary Sources

Alfred Benn, "Rise of the Philosophical Renaissance"  [Hist. of Mod. Phil.] [B]
Emile Boutroux, "The Characteristics of Modern Philosophy"  [I]
The Philosophy of Spinoza
 
Baruch de Spinoza was one of the most important and controversial thinkers of the 17th century.  This reissuing of The Philosophy of Spinoza provides the reader with selections from the most important works of Spinoza and shows the daring scope of this visionary philosopher’s thought.

ISBN: 9781496093356
Essay on Property
 
A re-issuing of H.S. Salt’s 1890 edition of William Godwin’s anarchist treatise arguing for the abolition of private property. Essay on Property is the  last and most important part of Godwin’s Enquiry Concerning Political  Justice and offers the most accessible introduction to Godwin’s political  philosophy. 

ISBN: 9781456313708