Modern Philosophy

The nineteenth century transformed philosophy as thoroughly as it transformed everything else. Kant's critical philosophy set the terms of debate; Hegel answered with an account of reason unfolding through history; Marx turned Hegel on his head and made philosophy a tool of social transformation. Nietzsche declared the death of God and challenged the foundations of Western morality. The century also saw the birth of existentialism, the philosophy of will, and the first serious engagement with non-Western traditions — producing a philosophical landscape of extraordinary richness and conflict.