PHIL 838 The Principle of Sufficient Reason from Leibniz to Kant

An historical and philosophical treatment of the Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR), through the controversies of early modern German metaphysics. The course begins with the PSR as found in Spinoza and Leibniz, continues through the Pietist Controversy between Christian Wolff and Christian August Crusius, and follows the development of that controversy in Immanuel Kant's pre-critical and critical works. The course concludes with a contemporary treatment of the PSR and its implications.