Epistemology

This module (actually called the Epistemological Tradition) for the BA Philosophy at UCLan divides, roughly, into two sections. Weeks 1-6 concern scepticism whilst weeks 7-12 concern the analysis of knowledge. That said, scepticism is one of the key problems that drives the analysis of knowledge whilst any satisfactory response to scepticism will involve a view of the nature of knowledge so the two halves are connected.

Scepticism

Descartes and scepticism about the external world

Putnam and the brain in a vat

Davidson and the omniscient interpreter

Williams and epistemological realism

McDowell and scepticism about other minds

Wittgenstein and certainty

Topics in the philosophy of knowledge

Gettier and the failure of justified true belief

Goldman and reliabilism

Testimony

Knowledge as a social status

Induction

Knowing how

Coda

Reading

The essential readings will be available on WebCT. Most, however, are to be found in the following which also contains a host of related papers to support serious scholarship.

    • Sosa, E., Kim, J., Fantl, J., and McGrath, M. (2010) Epistemology: an anthropology, Oxford: Blackwell

There is NO textbook for the module as none is entirely satisfactory. But any of these (and others) will give you a feeling for the subject.

    • Pritchard, D. (2009) What is this thing called knowledge? London: Routledge

This is very clear and a good start but modest in its depth. You can learn more!

    • Williams, M. (2001) Problems of Knowledge: A Critical Introduction to Epistemology, Oxford: Oxford University Press

This is rather more challenging, but excellent.

    • Gascoigne, N. (2007) Scepticism,Chesham: Acumen

A specialist introduction to scepticism.

The handbook is here.

Assessment