Descartes is widely regarded as the founder of modern philosophy and one of the greatest thinkers of all time. But it is not easy for us today to understand his texts, written nearly 400 years ago. In these tutorials you will learn - to read and understand his most famous book "Meditations on First Philosophy", - come to appreciate the originality and importance of his ideas, - and, most especially, how to become a critical thinker and philosophize on your own. Length: six tutorials (each two hours long) or twelve tutorials (each one hour long). Note: The first tutorial will take place online. After that, the tutorials can also take place at my home in Brussels. About me: I am a retired university professor who still enjoys teaching. I have taught for several decades at reputable British universities. I obtained my doctorate at the University of Oxford. I have published many books and articles in philosophy. Among my favorite philosophers are Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Kant, Wittgenstein and Heidegger.

Learn to think with the great philosophers of the past! In these tutorials you will learn - about the ideas of some of the most famous and influential philosophers of the modern age, - how to read and understand original philosophical texts, - most importantly, how to become a critical thinker and philosophise on your own. In ten tutorials (each two hours long), we will follow the development of modern philosophy from the 17th century to the present. We will start with Descartes, look at Spinoza, Locke, Hume, Kant, Hegel, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche, and end with Wittgenstein and Heidegger. We will cover topics in the philosophy of mind and language, in epistemology, metaphysics and ethics. We will discuss questions such as "Is the mind distinct from matter?", "Can I know anything?", "Can we distinguish between good and evil?", "Does God exist?" etc. Note: You can choose whether you prefer ten tutorials (each two hours long) or twenty tutorials (each one hour long). About me: I am a retired university professor who still enjoys teaching philosophy. I have taught many students (graduate and undergraduate) for several decades at reputable British universities. I obtained my philosophy doctorate at the University of Oxford. I have published many books and articles in philosophy. Among my favourite philosophers are Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Kant, Wittgenstein and Heidegger.