Epistemology A 3800-ISP-EPA
Epistemology is concerned with such questions as “What, if anything, do we know?”, “What is knowledge?”. We will begin by looking at scientific knowledge. Despite the fact that it appears to be the most solid kind of knowledge, it has been subject to a serious skeptical challenge (Hume’s problem of induction). We will discuss the two main responses to the skeptical challenge (neo-inductivism and falsificationism), paying particular attention to their accounts of justification. In the second and main part of the course, we will take up the difficult issue of the analysis of knowledge. We will consider the challenge of Gettier’s problem. We will then consider various theories of justification (theories of the structure of knowledge) and the debate between internalism and externalism.
Weak Inductionism. Problem of Induction. Wide Inductionism. Popper’s Falsificationism
Conceptual Analysis. The JTB Account of Knowledge. Gettier Problem. Internalist Solutions and externalist (Nozick, Goldman) solutions. Goldman’s reliabilism. Internalism vs Externalism
The Regress Problem. Foundationalism. Coherentism. Infinitism
Rodzaj przedmiotu
Koordynatorzy przedmiotu
Efekty kształcenia
Acquired knowledge
- knows basic epistemological terminology in English (W03, W05)
- knows the relation between epistemology and the main philosophical subdisciplines (W02)
- knows the relation between epistemology and sciences of cognition (W02)
- has knowledge of the main positions in epistemology (W06, W08)
- understands the main epistemological problems (W06, W08)
- knows what giving arguments and counterarguments consists in (W14)
- knows what conceptual analysis consists in (W14)
Acquired skills
- is able to apply epistemological terminology correctly (U05)
- is able to analyze epistemological arguments, identify its crucial premises as well as understand the relations between the conclusions and premises (U04, U07, U08, U09)
- is able to give arguments for and against the main positions in contemporary epistemology (U07, U8, U09, U16)
Acquired social competences
- is open to discuss epistemological issues (K02)
- is open to new proposals of solutions to problems (K02)
Kryteria oceniania
Timely and fully conscious attendance is a prerequisite of passing the course.
15 tutorial discussion sessions (every other week) are required for philosophy students but not for OGUN students. Philosophy students must pass the assignments for the tutorial discussion sessions in order to take the exam.
The final grade will be based on:
100% Written exam
There is an up to 10% bonus for discussion participation.
The final exam and test will consist of short answer questions. At the end of each section of the material (approx. weekly or biweekly), study questions will be made available. A student who is able to answer all study questions is guaranteed to pass the exam.
Number of absences: 2
Literatura
C.G. Hempel, Philosophy of Natural Science (Prentice-Hall, 1966)
J. Dancy, Introduction to Contemporary Epistemology (Oxford: Blackwell, 2005)
D. O’Brien, 2017, An Introduction to the Theory of Knowledge, Cambridge: Polity.
J. Nagel, 2014. Knowledge. A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
M. Steup & E. Sosa, Contemporary Debates in Epistemology (Oxford: Blackwell, 2005)
S. Bernecker, Reading Epistemology (Oxford: Blackwell, 2006)
E. Sosa, J. Kim, J. Fantl, M. McGrath, Epistemology, 2nd edition (Oxford: Blackwell, 2008)
Więcej informacji
Dodatkowe informacje (np. o kalendarzu rejestracji, prowadzących zajęcia, lokalizacji i terminach zajęć) mogą być dostępne w serwisie USOSweb: