|
Home
Raymond Ruble
rublers@appstate.edu
Appalachian State University
Disclaimer
|
PHILOSOPHY 4000: THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE (W) FALL 2006
Books: Contemporary Readings in Epistemology, ed. Goodman & Snyder (Rental), What Can We Know?, Louis P. Pojman (Paperback).
This course will introduce you to the core area of philosophy generally known as epistemology (theory of knowledge). Epistemology includes a wide range of issues centering around the nature and justification of knowledge claims; skeptical attacks on the legitimacy of any (or all) sorts of knowledge claims; the distinction between meaning, truth, conviction, certainty, knowledge, faith, and belief, and the various logical relationships between these notions (these issues are generally termed "meta-epistemology"); as well as special concerns about such things as the nature and possibility of empirical knowledge and knowledge of the past, the future, and the states of others' minds (to mention but a few). By the end of the semester you will have some idea about what these issues are concerned with and you will be familiar with some of the great historical opinions on these issues as well as current opinions on these matters.
The material for the course will be read in the following order. Notice that some of these assignments contain more than one reading assignment. More than one class meeting may be spent on any given topic.
SECTION I. SKEPTICISM . WHAT CAN WE KNOW?
1) Poyman, Chapter One.
2) Pojman, Chapter Two. Sextus Empiricus, "Scepticism." Handout
3) Descartes, "Meditations on First Philosophy." Handout
4) Pojman, Chapter Three. Nozick, "Skepticism," G&S, pp 280 - 294.
SECTION II. THE NATURE OF KNOWLEDGE
5) Pojman, Chapter Four, Perception, Locke, “Sense Experience Caused By Objects.” Handout
6) Pojman, Chapter Five, Knowledge, an Analysis. Gettier, "Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?" G&S, pp 4 - 5.
7) Pojman, Chapter Six. Alston, "Has Foundationalism Been Refuted?," G&S, pp. 42 - 53. Bonjour, "The Coherence Theory of Empirical Knowledge," G&S, pp. 70 - 89.
8) Pojman, Chapter Eight. Goldman, "What Is Justified Belief?," G&S, pp 89 - 104.
9) Pojman, Chapter Nine. Plantinga, "Warrant: A First Approximation." Handout.
SECTION III. SUB AREAS OF EPISTEMOLOGY
10) Pojman, Chapter Twelve, A Priori Knowledge. Quine, “One Dogma of Empiricism,” G&S, pp. 133 - 141.
11) Goodman, “The New Riddle of Induction.” Handout
12) Pojman, Chapter Thirteen. Malcolm, "Memory and the Past,"Handout
13) Pojman, Chapter Fourteen. Nagel, “What Is It Like To Be a Bat?” (Handout). Russell, “Analogy.” (Handout). Price, "An Application of Hypothetical Reasoning: The Conscious States of Other Persons." Handout
SECTION IV. ASPECTS OF THE CURRENT SCENE
14) Pojman, Chapter Ten. Quine, "Epistemology Naturalized," G&S, pp. 313 - 323.
Kim, "What is 'Naturalized Epistemology'?" G&S, pp. 323 - 338.
Popper, "Evolutionary Epistemology," G&S, pp. 338 - 350.
15) Stich, "Reflective Equilibrium, Analytic Epistemology, and the Problem of Cognitive Diversity," G&S, pp. 350 - 365.
16) Seller, "Realism Versus Relativism: Towards a Politically Adequate Epistemology," G&S, pp. 365 - 375.
17) Pojman, Chapter Nineteen. Rorty, “Science as Solidarity,” Handout.
Nietzsche, “On truth and Lies in a Nonmoral Sense,” Handout.
18) Pojman, Chapter Fifteen. Hardwig, "Epistemic Dependence," G&S, pp. 375 - 386.
19) Goldman, "Epistemic Paternalism: Communication Control in Law and Society," G&S, pp. 386 - 398.
20) Pojman, Chapters Sixteen, Seventeen, and Eighteen. Meiland, "What Ought We To Believe?" Handout.
Your course grade will be based on the following three factors:
1) Your "reflections" grade. In at least one class meeting during each week you will be required to turn in a reflection about the reading assignment discussed during that meeting or any topic which arises during that discussion. It may be a reflection about an issue you have already raised in class. Your reflection should include a brief discussion on why it is an important or relevant reflection in light of the reading or classroom discussion and it may include some sketch for possible answer directions. These reflections will be graded on a 1 - 5 grading scale with "5" being the highest (A+) and "1" the lowest grade (D). You cannot flunk a reflection provided that you at least hand in a sheet of paper with your name on it. In special circumstances I will award more than 5 points to superior reflections. Your reflections grade will compose 60% of your final grade.
2) Your classroom discussion grade. This course is not simply my lectures and your notes. You are expected to verbally present your own ideas during the course of the semester. I will also ask some of you to present brief (about 15 minutes) oral presentations on some issues that will arise during the semester. Those who are chosen for this assignment will have at least one week to prepare your remarks. More details about this will be explained in class. Your discussion grade will be 10% of your final grade.
3) Major paper grade. You will write one major paper of something like ten single spaced typed pages in length (depending on the topic). You will choose the topic but it must be approved by me no later than Tuesday, October 17, 2006. Should you fail to get your topic approved by me by this deadline I will assign you a topic. You may write on any topic you choose provided that it is in epistemology. After your topic is approved, I will help you obtain primary sources. Your paper will both tell me what the primary sources maintain about your topic as well as what you take to be true about this topic. A first draft of this paper is due by Tuesday, November 14th, 2006. It must be a complete draft with all of the relevant sections included. I will comment on it and return it to you. You will then make the necessary corrections and/or improvements and resubmit it. Your final draft is due Wednesday, December 6th, 2006. It must be typed and conform to standard style regarding quotations and footnotes or endnotes. Your grade for this paper will compose 30% of your final course grade.
A LIST OF POSSIBLE MAJOR PAPER TOPICS
1) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the correspondence theory of truth? How can Gettier's problem be best answered?
2) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the coherence theory of truth?
3) Can an adequate theory of meaning be developed in terms of which some grammatically correct sentences can nonetheless be shown to be meaningless? If so, what is the theory and what sorts of sentences are really meaningless?
4) Is there a valid analytic/synthetic distinction?
5) Are there synthetic a priori judgments?
6) What is faith and what is the relationship between faith, belief, and knowledge?
7) Can I know something and not believe it?
8) Assess the validity of any global scepticism argument.
9) Assess the validity of any local scepticism argument.
10) Can any epistemology seriously challenge foundationalism?
11) Is epistemic relativism coherent or defensible?
12) Is (can) there be such a thing as a valid feminist (ethnic) epistemology?
13) Assess the arguments against special knowledge claims such as those involving perception, knowledge of the future or the past, knowledge about other minds, miracles, religious revelation, ethical norms, aesthetic norms, scientific law, universals, or theoretical entities.
14) Consider any of the major figures in the history of epistemology. How good is his analysis of epistemology?
15) Is there an ethics of knowledge or belief?
16) What impact does the biology of knowledge or the sociology of knowledge have on epistemology?
17) If your major is not philosophy, are there specific epistemic issues in your major? If so, select one and analyze it from a philosophical point of view.
RAYMOND RUBLE OFFICE HOURS: MWF 9:00 - 10:00, 11:00 - 12:00
262 - 2425 TTh 9:00 - 9:30, 11:00 - 12:30
126 I. G. Greer
Rublers@appstate.edu
|