PHIL 201 Epistemology

Spring Semester 2012 | Day | Burnaby

INSTRUCTOR  Jill McIntosh, WMC 5605

REQUIRED TEXTS

• The Theory of Knowledge: Classical and Contemporary Readings, 3rd ed., Louis Pojman, ed. Thompson Wadsworth
• It is possible that other material will be made available either on line or on reserve.

RECOMMENDED TEXT

• Writing Philosophy: A Guide for Canadian Students. Lewis Vaughn and J.S. McIntosh, Oxford University Press, 2009

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Epistemology is the study of knowledge. What is it, do we have any, and when and how do we get it (if we, in fact, ever do)? As you can probably imagine, epistemology is a vast field, and we cannot hope even to touch on all its themes. However, we can get a good sense of some of the central issues. We will look at analyses of the concept of knowledge, theories of the nature and structure of justification, responses to scepticism about various (putative) sources of knowledge, and views on the goal of epistemology. Representative questions may include the following: Is knowledge justified true belief? Can beliefs be justified by their inclusion in a particular set of other beliefs?  Are some beliefs self-justifying? Does the cause of a belief matter to its justification? Are we entitled to rely on such things as perception, introspection, and induction? How does science give us knowledge (if it does)? Does epistemology tell us what we should do, or instead simply describe what we in fact do?

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

• First midterm - 15%
• First paper - 20%
• Second midterm - 20%
• Second paper - 30%
• Participation - 15%

NOTE: Prerequisites: one of PHIL 100, 150 or 151, or COGS 100. Students who have taken PHIL 301 cannot take this course for further credit.

NOTE: Students will be required to submit written work to turnitin.com, for plagiarism-checking and also, possibly, for anonymous peer review or as the basis for class discussion.