Modem philosophy, from its beginning in Descartes to its death as an independent field in its current submersion in linguistics, holds two fundamental premises: the primacy of consciousness in metaphysics, and subjectivism in epistemology. This course focuses on Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Hegel as the four major exponents of these views. Dr. Bernstein shows their continued influence in contemporary culture, and demonstrates Ayn Rand's striking originality in opposing the entire modem philosophical tradition.