Modern Western philosophy marks a distinct departure from earlier philosophical traditions, as it began to place greater emphasis on individual experience, empirical knowledge, and rational inquiry. This era of philosophy, spanning roughly from the 17th century to the present, is characterized by the rise of critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and skepticism about previously accepted truths. It is a time when philosophy engaged more with the issues of human freedom, the nature of reality, ethics, and the role of reason in understanding the world. One of the primary features of modern Western philosophy is the emphasis on reason and the power of human cognition. Philosophers such as René Descartes, often regarded as the father of modern philosophy, emphasized the role of the subject, or the "thinking mind," in gaining knowledge. Descartes' famous dictum "Cogito, ergo sum" ("I think, therefore I am") encapsulated the belief that the foundation of all knowledge is the certainty of the self-aware, thinking subject. This philosophical shift laid the groundwork for subsequent explorations into the nature of consciousness, identity, and the relationship between mind and body. Closely linked to Descartes' emphasis on reason was the rise of empiricism, a school of thought that values sensory experience and observation as the primary sources of knowledge. Philosophers such as John Locke, George Berkeley, and David Hume championed the idea that all human knowledge comes from experience, rejecting innate ideas or a priori knowledge. For them, the mind begins as a "tabula rasa," a blank slate, upon which experiences are written. This perspective influenced modern science and the development of the scientific method, which emphasizes experimentation, observation, and evidence. The skepticism and questioning attitude that emerged during the modern period were central to the development of epistemology, the study of knowledge. Modern philosophers raised significant questions about the nature of reality and how