Traditional epistemology since Descartes has focused primarily on the concept of knowledge and whether we ever qualify as possessing any. Can we mount a successful reply to the skeptic who claims we know next to nothing? Recently, however, philosophers have questioned whether the focus on the knowledge–versus–skepticism dialectic is a productive way to proceed. For one, the skeptical challenge generally takes an individualistic form, whereas knowledge is often generated and transmitted by social structures; much of what we apparently know comes from the say-so of others. For two, there are a number of different epistemic states that clearly deserve careful philosophical and psychological study (e.g., understanding, ignorance). How are these different epistemic states produced and managed? We will address these and related questions through the lens of recent work in Virtue Epistemology, particularly that associated with intellectual character. We will also consider various “epistemic pathologies” with practical importance such as organized denial campaigns, propaganda, fake news, conspiracy theories, rumor and innuendo-mongering, motivated reasoning, and so on. By the end of the course, you will be well poised to think productively about socially-important questions about knowledge, ignorance, doubt, and understanding and their applications in contemporary society.

Registration Information
Spring 2020: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:30–3:52PM

The course will be open to senior philosophy majors and other students by permission. Please feel free to get in touch if you are interested in taking the course, describing you other coursework in philosophy and interest in the course.