In this class, we will address the old philosophical question of how humans come to know, if they do at all. This will lead us to an analysis of the concept of knowledge and its limitations and to the discussion of various positions that have been proposed in attempts to answer the initial question. Moreover, we will discuss the two most important candidate sources of knowledge: perception and reason. We will study the problem of induction and some exciting recent directions in confirmation theory. Finally, we will examine naturalized epistemology, i.e. a cluster of accounts according to which epistemology is inextricably connected to cognitive science.
For the final exam, you should consult the Study Guide for help with your preparation. If pressed for time, focus in particular on the topics given in the Focused Study Guide.
The finals are now available on the 7th floor of the HSS building under the mailboxes as you step out of the elevators. If you did not sign the back of the blue book, you can get your exam back from either me or Eric. Please note that D+ and D- on the course will show up as D on your transcripts.
Have a great summer!
Course Materials
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The electronic reserves for this course can be found here.
Course materials such as lecture notes, handouts, etc will be made available as they will be used in class.
Assignments
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For general advice on writing a philosophy paper, the following online resources are strongly recommended:
Grading Code
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For students who come up with their own examples:
Last modified on 17 July 2007.
Created and maintained by Christian Wüthrich. URL: http://philosophy.ucsd.edu/faculty/wuthrich/teaching/2007_015.html |