In the Aristotelian-scholastic cosmos that the moderns rejected, the primary mode of explanation for why a thing behaves as it does was itsβ¦
Galileo's claim that the book of nature 'is written in the language of mathematics' captures which core commitment of the new science?
Why did the collapse of the authoritative Aristotelian picture push modern philosophy to make epistemology, rather than metaphysics, its first concern?
The 'veil of ideas' problem arises from which shared assumption of the moderns?
According to the primary/secondary quality distinction (as defended in Locke's Essay II.viii), the colour of a rose isβ¦
The 16th-century revival of ancient skepticism that helped set the modern agenda drew above all on which source, and expressed itself in which figure's motto 'Que sais-je?'
Foundationalism, the era's characteristic response to skepticism, is best described as the view thatβ¦
Which statement most accurately contrasts rationalism and empiricism?
βοΈ Open answer Β· AI-graded
Explain why the Scientific Revolution pushed early modern philosophy to place epistemology before metaphysics, and critically assess whether the moderns' shared 'way of ideas' made the resulting sceptical crisis unavoidable.
What to cover: Connect the collapse of the Aristotelian-scholastic cosmos to the new demand for secure foundations, then explain the veil of ideas and how the primary/secondary quality distinction and revived scepticism sharpen it. Weigh whether accepting the way of ideas already commits one to the sceptical gap.
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