PHIL 450A HANDOUT #2: READING ASSIGNMENTS

Reading assignments are from Louis P. Pojman, The Theory of Knowledge: Classical & Contemporary Readings, 3rd ed [Text] and from the Course Reader of photocopied materials [READER], both of which are available for purchase at the University Book Store. Except for the first week, readings should be done before class on Monday of the week they are due.

Week #1 (Sept. 26-28): Introduction: What is Epistemology?

Readings: (1) Excerpt from Myles Burnyeat, tr., The Theaetetus of Plato [READER pp. 3-5].

(2) David Hume, "Skepticism Regarding the Senses" [Text pp. 39-48].

(3) David Hume, "The Problem of Induction" [Text pp. 434-439].

(4) Nelson Goodman, "The New Riddle of Induction" [Text pp. 460-463].

Weeks #2-3 (Oct. 1-12): Empirical Justification

A. Foundationalism

Readings: (1) Roderick Chisholm “Contemporary Classical Foundationalism” [Text pp. 163-174].

(2) Laurence BonJour, "A Critique of Foundationalism" [Text pp. 182-194, except Section III].

B. Coherentism

Readings: (1) Jonathan Dancy, "A Defense of Coherentism" [Text pp. 206-215].

(2) Richard Fumerton, "A Critique of Coherentism" [Text pp. 215-221]

C. Hybrid Theories

Readings: (1) Susan Haack, "A Foundherentist Theory of Empirical Justification" [Text pp. 237-247. Note that the first paragraph on page 243 should say: (3) Smith is right-handed.]

(2) John MacDowell, Mind and World, Lecture I, "Concepts and Intuitions" [READER pp. 6-16].

(3) David Annis, "A Contextual Theory of Epistemic Justification" [Text pp. 248-254].

Weeks #4-5 (Oct. 15-26): A Priori Justification

DRAFT OF PAPER #1: Posted to PHIL 450 Peer Review before class on Monday, Oct. 15.

COMMENT ON TWO DRAFTS: Before class on Wed., Oct. 17.

SUBMIT PAPER #1 AS EMAIL ATTACHMENT by midnight on Monday, Oct. 22.

MIDTERM REVIEW QUESTIONS: Distributed in class on Wed. Oct. 24.

Readings: (1) Immanuel Kant, "A Priori Knowledge" [Text pp. 370-377].WARNING: Some of the examples in Pojman’s introduction are NOT examples Kant uses. Use Kant’s examples, not Pojman’s, in explaining Kant’s views.]

(2) W.V. Quine, "Two Dogmas of Empiricism" [Text pp. 391-403]. NOTE THAT THERE IS AN ERROR ON PAGE 395. Item (3) should be: "(3) All and only bachelors are unmarried men". The words "is analytic" should appear on the following line, not as a part of (3).

(3) Laurence BonJour, The Structure of Empirical Knowledge, Appendix A [READER pp. 17-29].

(4) Laurence BonJour, In Defense of Pure Reason, Chap. 4, "A Moderate Rationalism" [READER pp. 45-60].

(5) Stephen P. Stich, "Could Man be an Irrational Animal?" [READER pp. 30-40].

(6) Discussion of the Monty Hall Problem in columns of Marilyn vos Savant in Parade [READER pp. 41-44].

Week #6 (Mon. and Wed.) (Oct. 29-Oct. 31): Midterm Review and Exam

MIDTERM REVIEW: In class on Mon. Oct. 29.

MIDTERM EXAM: In class on Wed., Oct. 31.

Weeks #6 (End), #7, and #8 (Nov. 2-16): Internalism and Externalism

NO CLASS ON MONDAY, NOV. 12 (VETERANS DAY).

DRAFT OF PAPER #2: Posted to PHIL 450 Peer Review before class on Wed., Nov. 14.

COMMENT ON TWO DRAFTS: Before class on Friday, Nov. 16.

Readings: (1) Edmund L. Gettier, "Is Justified True Belief Knowledge?" [Text pp. 125-127].

(2) Alvin I. Goldman, "Discrimination and Perceptual Knowledge" [Text pp. 142-154]. NOTE THAT THERE IS AN ERROR ON PAGE 150. ITEM (3)(B) SHOULD READ "at t" not "and T".

(3) Alvin I. Goldman, "Reliabilism: What is Justified Belief?" [Text pp. 260-273].

(4) Keith Lehrer, "A Critique of Externalism" [Text pp. 273-286].

(5) Matthias Steup, "A Defense of Internalism" [Text pp. 310-321].

(6) Laurence BonJour, excerpt from The Structure of Empirical Knowledge, "The Epistemological Task" [READER pp. 208-212].

(7) Read Section III of BonJour, "A Critique of Foundationalism" [Text pp. 187-189].

(8) Thomas Gilovich, How We Know What Isn't So, Chap. 5, "Seeing What We Want to See"

[READER pp. 61-75].

Week #9 (Nov. 19-21): Virtue Epistemology

SUBMIT PAPER #2 AS EMAIL ATTACHMENT by midnight on Tuesday, Nov. 20.

NO CLASS ON FRIDAY, NOV. 25 (THANKSGIVING VACATION).

Readings: (1) Linda Zagzebski and her critics, Philosophy & Phenomenological Research 60 (Jan. 2000) [E-RESERVE].

Week #10 (Nov. 26-30): The Metaphysics and Epistemology of Epistemology

FINAL EXAM REVIEW QUESTIONS: Distributed in class on Friday, Nov. 30.

Readings: (1) Reread BonJour's Appendix A to SEK [READER pp. 17-29].

(2) Reread Quine's "Two Dogmas" [Text pp. 437-448].

(3) W.V. Quine, "Epistemology Naturalized" [Text pp. 287-295].

(4) Hilary Kornblith, "Naturalistic Epistemology and its Critics" [Text pp.322-333].

(5) Robert Nozick, The Nature of Rationality, Chap. IV, "Evolutionary Reasons", except you may skip the section "Fitness and Function" [READER pp. 76-88 and 93-105].

(6) Robert Brandom, Articulating Reasons, Chap. 6, "Objectivity and the Normative Fine Structure of Reality" [READER pp. 106-118].

(7) W.J. Talbott, Learning From Experience (unpublished manuscript), Chap. 7, "Implicit Sensitivity Alternatives to Explicit Sensitivity Accounts of Concept Acquisition and Rational Belief Change” [READER pp. 119-132].

(8) Robert Nozick, excerpt from Philosophical Explanations, "Does Neurophysiological Reduction Undercut Tracking?"[READER pp. 133-149].

Week #11 (Dec. 5-9): The Politics of Epistemology

COURSE EVALUATION IN CLASS ON FRIDAY, DEC. 7.

Readings: (1) Lorraine Code, "Is the Sex of the Knower Epistemologically Significant?" [Text pp. 559-571]. [Note that on p. 565, 2nd column, l. 18, "relevant" should be "relative" and on p. 566, 2nd column, l. 28, "conducive" should be "conclusive".]

(2) Helen E. Longino, "Feminist Epistemology as a Local Epistemology" [Text pp.571-579].

(3) Susan Haack, "Knowledge and Propaganda: Reflections of an Old Feminist" [Text pp. 580-588].

(4) Richard Rorty, "Dismantling Truth: Solidarity versus Objectivity" [Text pp. 588-595]. [Note that page 592, col. 1, l. 6 from the bottom should read: "There is no point . . . "]

(5) Margarita Rosa Levin, "A Defense of Objectivity" [Text pp. 596-606].