Western philosophy is part of modern philosophy is disputed. The term "modern philosophy" has multiple usages. For example, Thomas Hobbes is sometimes considered the first modern philosopher because he applied a systematic method to political philosophy. By contrast, René Descartes is often considered the first modern philosopher because he grounded his philosophy in problems of "knowledge", rather than problems of metaphysics. Modern philosophy and especially Enlightenment philosophy is distinguished by its increasing independence from traditional authorities such as the Church, academia, and Aristotelianism; a new focus on the foundations of knowledge and metaphysical system-building; and the emergence of modern physics out of
Peter Osborne (philosopher) Peter Osborne (philosopher) Peter Osborne (born 1958) is Professor of Modern European Philosophy and Director of the Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy (CRMEP), Kingston University, London. He is also an editor of the journal "Radical Philosophy". Osborne graduated from the University of Bristol in 1979, with a Bachelor of Science in philosophy and economics, went on to obtain a Master of Arts in Philosophy at the University of Sussex in 1980, and stayed on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1988 Osborne, along with CRMEP colleague Howard Caygill, was a student of Gillian Rose. Osborne returned