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Knowledge and its Limits - PHL256
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 in epistemology, or the theory of knowledge. 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. We will also examine how some of these traditional problems are being reconceived in contemporary epistemology.
| Credit Points: | 3 |
| When Offered: | 2017 - Next offered in 2017 |
| Staff Contact(s): | Dr Jenny Duke-Yonge |
| Prerequisites: |
12cp or admission to GDipArts |
| Corequisites: | |
| NCCW(s): | PHIL256 |
| Unit Designation(s): | |
| Unit Type: | |
| Assessed As: | Graded |
| Offered By: | Department of Philosophy Faculty of Arts |
Timetable Information
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