Early modern philosophy Early modern philosophy Early modern philosophy (also classical modern philosophy) is a period in the history of philosophy at the beginning or overlapping with the period known as modern philosophy. The early modern period in history is roughly 1500–1789, but the label "early modern philosophy" is usually used to refer to a more specific period of time. In the narrowest sense, the term is used to refer principally to the philosophy of the 17th century, posited to have begun with René Descartes; to have included Thomas Hobbes, Blaise Pascal, Baruch Spinoza; and to have ended with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and
A History of Western Philosophy Russell's view that there is a sharp distinction between Leibniz's "popular philosophy" and his "esoteric doctrine". The critic George Steiner, writing in "Heidegger", described "A History of Western Philosophy" as "vulgar", noting that Russell omits any mention of Martin Heidegger. In Jon Stewart's anthology "The Hegel Myths and Legends" (1996), Russell's work is listed as a book that has propagated "myths" about Hegel. Stephen Houlgate writes that Russell's claim that Hegel's doctrine of the state justifies any form of tyranny is ignorant. The philosopher Roger Scruton, writing in "A Short History of Modern Philosophy", described "A History of Western Philosophy"