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
Andrew Pyle (philosopher) Andrew Pyle (philosopher) Andrew Pyle (born 17 March 1955) is a British philosopher on the history of philosophical atomism. Pyle is currently a Reader in Early Modern Philosophy at the University of Bristol, where he also received his doctorate. His dissertation was titled "Atomism and its Critics: Democritus to Newton". Pyle also writes on the history of science and has given talks within the university on the nature of science historically. Pyle is one of the editors of the "Continuum Encyclopedia of British Philosophy". In 2018, Bristol University held an all day conference honouring the thematic themes of Pyle's research