Early Modern Philosophy is a complete introduction to the most significant and influential philosophers of the first part of the modern era. Spanning the sixteenth through the early part of the eighteenth century, early modern philosophy marks a critical shift in the ideas that have continued to evolve within contemporary Western thought. This book presents writings of the major philosophical, scientific, and political thinkers of the time, focusing on the development and growth of rationalism which stressed reason, logic, and experimentation in the pursuit of truth, rejecting the scholastic philosophies of the Middle Ages. Part of Blackwell's Readings in the History of Philosophy Series, this survey of early modern philosophy focuses on the key texts and philosophers of the period whose beliefs changed the course of Western thought.