2010 Course Handbook
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PHL256: Knowledge and its Limits
How do we know the way the world really is? How far can we trust our own senses and our reason? What justifies our claims to knowledge? This unit introduces central philosophical problems about the nature of knowledge and its justification. We examine the traditional conception of knowledge as justified true belief, and focus in particular on the concept of justification: What sort of justification do our true beliefs require to count as knowledge rather than mere opinion? We also study the challenge of the sceptic who denies that our knowledge claims are justified. The sceptic asks: How do we know that we are not dreaming our experiences? How do we know that we are not living in a Matrix-like world in which we have illusory sensory experience? We consider how to respond to such sceptical challenges.
| Credit Points: | 3 |
| Contact Hours: | 3 |
| When Offered: | D1 - Day; Offered in the first half-year X1 - External study; Offered in the first half-year |
| Staff Contact(s): | Dr Cynthia Townley |
| Prerequisites: |
12cp or admission to GDipPhil |
| Corequisites: | |
| NCCW(s): | PHIL256 |
| Unit Designation(s): | |
| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: | Department of Philosophy |
Timetable Information
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