The nineteenth century saw the emergence of currents of thought that remain influential to this day. In philosophy, it saw the full development of German Idealism, and the emergence of new movements such as Positivism, Pragmatism and Existentialism. In science, it gave rise to Darwin’s theory of evolution, and in political theory to liberalism, socialism, communism, imperialism, and nationalism. Through the writings of the century’s leading thinkers, including J S Mill, G W F Hegel, Auguste Comte, Karl Marx, Soren Kierkegaard, and William James, we’ll discover the sources of these major ideas.

DELIVERY MODE

• Hybrid (F2F & Online simultaneously)

SUGGESTED READING

• Gardiner, Patrick, Nineteenth Century Philosophy, Free Press, 1969, ISBN 9780029112205
• Copleston, Frederick, History of Philosophy: The condensed Copleston, Bloomsbury, 2025, ISBN 9781472950758
• Hughes, H Stuart, Consciousness and Society: The Reorientation of European Social Thought, Harvard UP, ISBN 0-674-70728-1

COURSE OUTLINE

• The social and political context of nineteenth century Europe
• The 19th century’s leading theories as they relate to philosophy, science, society and politics
• How the conflict between science and religion shaped the modern world
• Consideration of the leading concepts of liberalism, socialism and nationalism in political thought
• An introduction to the ideas of leading thinkers, including Mill, Hegel, Comte, Marx, Kierkegaard and James
• Reflection on how relevant remain the theories and values developed during the C19th and whether they have been superseded

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

1. Explain the significance of the C19th in the development of modern thought
2. Understand the key concepts developed by C19th thinkers to explain the physical world and human society
3. Assess the strengths and limits of C19th ideas, especially in their political context
4. Think critically about the continuing relevance of C19th ideas and the extent to which they remain valid today