Belief, Truth and Knowledge
Summer 2009, Session 2 (June 29th-August 7th)
Monday-Thursday, 3:30–5:05pm
Place: TBA
Description:
In this course we’ll inquire into the nature of inquiry. Questions will include: What is it, exactly, to know something? Is our knowledge built on foundations? Can we know anything about the world beyond our mental states (how do we know that we’re not in a Matrix or that the people around us have minds)? Is knowledge, in some sense, socially constructed? Is certainty attainable? What is it to be rational? Is there an objective fact of the matter as to who is rational and who is not? Throughout the course we will read some selections from historical texts (e.g. by Plato, Descartes, Pascal and William James), but spend most of our time discussing contemporary authors.
This course has no prerequisites. No background in philosophy is assumed. The topics may vary, depending on the interest of the class.
Schedule: coming soon.
Instructor:
Eli Alshanetsky (alshanetsky@nyu.edu)
Office: Rm 305, Dept. of Philosophy (5 Washington Place)
Office Hours: TBA
Requirements:
Participation (20%), 4 short writing assignments (80%).
Books:
Richard Feldman, Epistemology.
Paul Boghossian. Fear of Knowledge.
Other readings will be handed out in class and will be posted on the course Blog.
Useful Resources:
http://plato.stanford.edu/contents.html
http://www.jimpryor.net/teaching/index.html
http://philosophy.fas.nyu.edu/page/home