| Unit name | Epistemology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | PHIL20009 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Patrick |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Philosophy |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
Epistemology, or ‘the theory of knowledge’, is one of the central branches of philosophy, tracing back to ancient Greece. However our approach will be contemporary rather than historical: we will study key epistemological debates in 20th century analytic philosophy. Topics to be covered include the nature of knowledge and justification, scepticism and possible responses to it, internalist versus externalist theories of knowledge and justification, a priori knowledge, perception and perceptual knowledge, inductive reasoning, evidence and probability.
On successful completion of this unit students will have:
(1) developed a detailed knowledge of and acquired an in-depth understanding of the central debates and positions in epistemology
(2) gained familiarity with some of the central literature on these debates and positions;
(3) developed skills in the researching, reading and presentation of complex material, on these debates and positions, as appropriate to Level-I.
11 one-hour lectures + 11 one-hour seminars
Formative: two 2,000-2500 word essays designed to test intended learning outcomes (1)-(3).
Summative: one 3-hour unseen exam designed to test intended learning outcomes (1)-(3).
Dancy, Jonathan, Introduction to Contemporary Epistemology. Oxford: Blackwell, 1985.
Gettier, Edmund. “Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?” Analysis, 23, 121–123, 1963.
Steup, Matthias and Sosa, Ernest (eds.),Contemporary Debates in Epistemology, Oxford, Blackwell, 2005.
